Another group has asked the courts to be considered an essential state service, and thus eligible for funding even if there is a state shutdown:

Aging Services of Minnesota and Care Providers of Minnesota said today they have filed an Amicus Brief requesting the courts designate care for the frail elderly as a critical state priority that must be funded.

“We’re asking the courts to do what Governor Dayton and the legislature have failed to do — protect Minnesota’s growing population of frail seniors in need of specialized care and services,” said Patti Cullen, president and CEO of Care Providers of Minnesota.

The groups say:

Roughly 29,000 Minnesotans are cared for in nursing homes, and more than 26,000 medical assistance recipients receive care in their homes or assisted living establishments. The Governor’s assumption that nursing homes and assisted living providers could use their reserves to continue to fund essential services during a shutdown is a false assumption.

In fact, some providers have no reserves and have as little as 11 days of operating cash on hand. In addition, a recent study conducted by Larson Allen on behalf of The Long-Term Care Imperative indicates that as many as 63 Minnesota nursing homes are currently facing financial crisis that puts them at potential risk of closure.