ARRM's Daily Dispatch

Resources for the Small Employer Tax Credit

As part of the federal health care reform law, many small employers and tax-exempt organizations that provide their employees health care coverage will be eligible for a tax credit to offset the cost.  The tax credit is effective immediately in tax year 2010.  Here are some additional resources, directly from the IRS, members are likely to find useful:

• A short video on the basics of the small business credit is available here.
• A basic outline to determine if an employer qualifies is available here.
• A more detailed question and answer section is available here.
• The IRS’s website for everything tax credit-related can be found here.  Any new guidance or information about the credit will likely be posted here first.

As always, we will continue to monitor developments and pass along new information on this important topic as we receive it.

--Craig Wieber

ARRM unveils voter information and grassroots tools for summer and fall

For the past several weeks, ARRM staff and the Public Affairs Committee have been working diligently to assemble a passel of tools for members to use during the upcoming election season, as well as in your summer/fall grassroots advocacy work. Check out our menu of tools below; we trust that you’ll find these useful in the coming months.

Tool #1: Provider Best Practices Guide

ARRM implemented its grassroots advocacy plan last August, and since then, ARRM staff and our Advocacy Partners have amassed a good deal of practical information about how to engage families and staff in carrying out critical grassroots advocacy work. 

We’ve captured that knowledge in a five page Word document: “Top Ten Provider Tips, Grassroots Advocacy Best Practices”. Whether your agency is new to grassroots advocacy or a well-oiled grassroots machine, there are practical tips and concrete action steps for every agency.

Tool #2: Summer Grassroots Messages

As you know, we’re in the middle of ARRM’s “education and engagement” phase of our grassroots advocacy cycle. This summer, we’ve been encouraging members to visit their legislators in their home districts, or schedule site visits with elected officials to educate them about the critical work you do. Before you meet with legislators, take a look at the grassroots messages we’ve put together for executive leadership, direct care staff and family members. These messages are not intended to be recited verbatim; rather, they should give you some guidance on what points to address in the larger context of your personal story.

Tool #3: “When a Candidate Knocks” Door Hanger

ARRM has created a door hanger for your staff and family members to use when candidates are canvassing their communities. You can either download a modifiable Word document that should fit any paper formatted for 8.5” x 3.5” door hangers (you may need to adjust the margins or table cells slightly to accommodate different printers and paper), or if you’d rather not print your own door hangers, ARRM members may order FREE pre-printed 8.5” x 3.5” door hangers (you can’t modify these) directly from ARRM as a benefit of membership—see front and back images below, and click on each image to view the actual size. Contact Brenda Carlson to place your order; please let her know how many you’d like. We’ll mail or deliver them to you in early August.

 
Tool #4: Voter Information Section of Advocacy Arsenal

A good number of ARRM members are 501(c) (3) non-profits, and consequently, you must remain nonpartisan during the election season. ARRM has culled a variety of resources to help you stay engaged while preserving your 501(c) (3) status. In addition, we’ve added new tools that all organizations will find useful right up until Election Day on November 2nd.

Tool #5: What’s New(s) Blog

The purpose of ARRM’s What’s New(s) blog is to promote ARRM and member news and grassroots information. While the Daily Dispatch blog contains proprietary information for ARRM members only, the What’s New(s) blog is available for the general consumption. We encourage you to visit this blog often to get up-to-the-minute grassroots advocacy news, like Sara Krogman’s recent post on absentee ballot voting for the August 10th state primary elections. If you’d like to share your agency's good news with others, please send it in electronic format to Barb Brynstad. These posts are generally re-distributed on ARRM’s social media sites, Facebook and Twitter.

--Barb Brynstad, ARRM Public Relations Director

Environmental Accessibility Adaptation maximum rates go into effect Thursday

Effective Thursday, July 15, 2010, the maximum rate for Environmental Accessibility Adaptations for CAC, CADI, DD, and TBI waiver programs will be $40,000/year. (Note that the inital blog post headline contained an error--the rate goes into effect on Thursday, not Friday.)

DHS Disabilities Services Division (DSD) had proposed a maximum of $20,000/year. There was a 30 day comment period that ended March 11, 2010. In response to the comments received DSD adjusted the maximum to $40,000/year.

Service agreements completed prior to July 15, 2010 may have rates that exceed the new maximum of $40,000. Lead agencies may not authorize rates exceeding the new maximum after July 15, 2010.

DSD has updated the environmental accessibility adaptations page in the DSPM to reflect this information

--Barb Jacobson, COO

July Economic Update

Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released the state’s July economic update on last week. Economic updates are done quarterly to analyze updated economic data, and to compare it with assumptions made in the most recent forecast.

The news is not overly upbeat. Net general fund revenues for fiscal year 2010 were lower than anticipated in the February forecast by 0.7 percent, about $99 million. This was due to lower than anticipated income tax receipts, but was partially offset by higher collections in corporate income and sales tax. Click here to view the original document on MMB’s website.

What does this mean? At the end of the last legislative session, the current biennium’s budget had a positive balance of $6 million and $266 million of funds available in an account to help the state manage the flow of cash. The lower than anticipated receipts will not create a new deficit, but it will make managing cash flow more difficult. MMB Commissioner Tom Hanson appeared today at a hearing of the Legislative Advisory Commission to inform them of the situation, and to consult on establishing a short-term line of credit if collections deteriorate further.

The economic update also noted the projected deficit for the upcoming biennium “is likely to be materially wider than end-of-session estimates.” The last economic forecast in February assumed GDP would grow at an average rate of 3.5 percent for FY 2012-13. With more updated data, projections for average growth are now lower at 2.8 percent. Combine that with a lower starting point due to reduced collections in FY 2010, revenue projections are likely to fall significantly.

--Craig Wieber, Chief Fiscal Analyst

DHS Cost and Wage Survey Reminder

Last week, providers chosen as part of the random sample group of DHS's cost and wage survey should have received a link to the survey website and instructions via their MN-ITS mailbox. The data collected by this survey will be used to inform and possibly modify the final rate setting tool that will eventually be used for Medical Assistance payments. It is crucial that the data they collect accurately reflects the cost of providing services. If your organization is chosen, please make every effort to complete the survey. DHS is asking for completed surveys to be submitted by August 20th.

Providers not chosen for the random sample can still submit their own data. DHS provided a link and instructions for all other providers to complete the survey on July 6th via the MN-ITS mailbox. This is also important. It provides another source to verify the accuracy of data and trends observed in the first sample.

Additional information on the survey process and timeline are available on the department's website: here.

--Craig Wieber, Chief Fiscal Analyst

Revenue Dept. agrees that nonprofit ICFs and waiver/foster care are exempt from property taxes

It’s been hit and miss around the state as local property tax assessors decide whether nonprofit entities supporting people with disabilities are exempt from property taxes.

Yesterday ARRM meet with officials from the Minnesota Dept. of Revenue and was successful in clearing up misunderstandings among some at Revenue whether the 2009 legislation pertaining to this issue included “group homes.” 

It became apparent during the meeting that both department people and local assessors would find it easier to make the correct determinations if providers submitted documentation that included certain types of basic information.  ARRM will develop a draft for approval by the department and then get the final product out to members as soon as possible.

ARRM also agreed to participate in a training session for city and county property tax assessors.

The meeting concerned one ARRM member that had been denied their property tax exemption.  ARRM saw this as the benchmark meeting affecting all nonprofit members.  Sarah Duniway – an attorney with Gray, Plant, Mooty – joined me the meeting.

Technically, ARRM member nonprofits do not meet the test as nonprofit charities for property tax purposes, but the law and department bulletin (which ARRM helped write) is clear that “group homes” have a “reasonable justification for failing to meet three of the six standards.”

If you have received a negative ruling for your ICF or DD, CADI, CAC or TBI sites let me know immediately (phone: 651-291-1086, ext. 1).  We plan to have our “crib” sheet to members in a couple weeks.

--Bruce Nelson, CEO

ARRM member renewal currently underway

If you haven't been aware of ARRM's membership renewal activities in the past month, this is a reminder that our new membership year began on July 1. Thank you to all the members who have already renewed! If you have not yet renewed, please get your information in as soon as possible.  

ARRM continues to be a successful organization because of you--our members. ARRM staff remain committed to providing you with the expertise and diligent work necessary to face all that lies ahead for disability services.

If you have questions regarding your membership, feel free to contact Nancy Peterson at the ARRM office- 651-291-1086 extension 2 or npeterson@arrm.org.

--Barb Jacobson, COO