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Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO), Explained

MSHO is Minnesota's voluntary integrated plan for people who have both Medicare and Medical Assistance, combining both under one care coordinator.

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Short answer

Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) is Minnesota's voluntary integrated managed-care program for adults 65 and older who have both Medical Assistance and Medicare Parts A and B. It combines both programs' benefits under one health plan with a single care coordinator, rather than a resident juggling separate Medicare and Medicaid systems.

What MSHO coordinates

A single MSHO plan brings together medical care, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports (including, for eligible members, home and community-based waiver services) under one point of contact. The goal is fewer gaps between what Medicare covers and what Medical Assistance covers.

Availability varies

Which MSHO health plans are offered can vary by county and by year. Confirm current plan offerings for your specific county directly with the Senior LinkAge Line (1-800-333-2433) or DHS before advising a specific family, rather than assuming last year's options still apply.

Questions families ask

What counts as financial exploitation of a senior in Minnesota, and where do I report it?

Financial exploitation of a vulnerable adult — including undue influence over finances, theft, or misuse of a power of attorney — should be reported to MAARC at 1-844-880-1574, the same statewide line used for other forms of suspected abuse or neglect. If a specific licensed facility is involved and the concern also touches on regulatory compliance, MDH's Office of Health Facility Complaints (651-201-4200) can be contacted separately.

Am I a mandated reporter if I suspect a neighbor or relative in senior care is being neglected?

Minnesota law designates certain professionals — including facility staff, health care providers, social workers, and others working with vulnerable adults — as mandated reporters required to report suspected maltreatment to MAARC (1-844-880-1574). Family members and concerned neighbors are not legally mandated but are strongly encouraged to report suspected abuse or neglect through the same statewide line.

What happens after I call MAARC to report suspected abuse?

MAARC serves as the statewide intake point; after taking the report, it routes the case to the appropriate county or Tribal social services agency (or to MDH or another licensing board, if the concern involves a licensed provider's compliance) for investigation. MAARC itself does not conduct the on-the-ground investigation — that happens at the county level.

My parent is being discharged from a Twin Cities hospital in 3 days, what do I do?

Ask the hospital's discharge planner or social worker immediately for a written discharge plan and request time to explore options — Medicare-covered patients have federal appeal rights to delay a discharge they believe is premature. Simultaneously call the Senior LinkAge Line (1-800-333-2433) for options counseling and, if a nursing-facility level of care is likely, ask about starting a MnCHOICES assessment for Elderly Waiver or Alternative Care eligibility right away, since that process takes time.

What's the difference between a short-term rehab stay and moving straight into assisted living after a hospital stay?

Short-term rehab (skilled nursing care, often Medicare-covered for a limited period after a qualifying hospital stay) focuses on recovering function — physical therapy, wound care, medication stabilization — with an expected return home or to a lower level of care. Assisted living, licensed under Chapter 144G, is a longer-term housing-plus-care setting for someone who needs ongoing daily support rather than short-term recovery.

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