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Medical services in limbo for thousands of providers amid Minnesota fraud crisis

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Medical services in limbo for thousands of providers amid Minnesota fraud crisis


The Minnesota Department of Human Services is reexamining over 5,000 Medicaid service providers across the state in an effort to combat fraud. 

The federal government said it would pull $2 billion in annual Medicaid funding from Minnesota in January if the state didn’t make changes.

The Minnesota Department of Human Services set out to revalidate thousands of providers in programs deemed high risk for fraud by asking providers to submit verification paperwork and making unannounced site visits. The deadline passed on Sunday. 

The latest data, published on May 27, shows 1,009 providers approved, 1,151 disenrolled and over 3,000 providers with pending applications. 

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Paige Berland and Camille Heyman run Minnesota Behavioral Specialists, providing autism care to children through two locations in the metro area. The women say that after submitting their paperwork, they received letters from DHS with determinations for both locations: the Bloomington center was terminated and the Eagan office was approved. 

“It doesn’t make sense, everything is the same minus the location,” Berland said. “So why was one approved and one wasn’t approved?”

The termination letter said the Bloomington center was denied because they failed to disclose a managing employee during a site visit. Berland disputes that and said she already submitted an appeal.

“We were told to keep running, keep continuing as we are while we go through this process,” she said. “It just means that we don’t have the money coming in.” 

Josh Berg with Accessible Space says they’re also in limbo. Berg said they offer integrated community supports, which means caretakers provide in-unit assistance for people with spinal cord injuries and disabilities. 

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“Most of the folks that we support are wheelchair-bound,” Berg said. “Helping with meals, helping with medications, helping them just live their lives.”

Berg said that of the seven locations where people are housed, the Department of Human Services terminated five and approved two. He believes the timeline to conduct this revalidation process was too aggressive. He said Accessible Space has also submitted an appeal.

“We’re not able to bill for services, we’re not able to start new services for anybody or change any of the supports that they receive,” he said. 

Both Berg and Berland say they agree fraud needs to be dealt with, but they hope Minnesotans who truly need services aren’t left without the services they need. 

“Not just the clients rely on services, but the families do too, so we can’t stop services; that’s not an option on our plate,” Berland said. “We want to continue to provide these services; they are medically necessary.” 

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The Minnesota Department of Human Services said a disenrollment letter could be sent for a few reasons, including failure to submit revalidation application after two notification attempts, failure to provide all requested documents within the required timeframe and failure to meet the criteria required during an on-site visit.

A spokesperson for the Department of Human Services said it’s currently in the process of compiling data from the thousands of applications, but didn’t say when the department would share those final numbers. 



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Report: Timberwolves trade Julius Randle to Brooklyn Nets as part of 3-team deal

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Report: Timberwolves trade Julius Randle to Brooklyn Nets as part of 3-team deal



The Minnesota Timberwolves are reportedly trading three-time All-Star Julius Randle to the Brooklyn Nets in a three-team trade that sends Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls.

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Minnesota is sending the 28th pick to the Nets and will be receiving the No. 33 pick that will be made in the second round on Wednesday night, according to a person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal has not received the required approvals from the league office.

For Minnesota, the trade opens up a slew of financial possibilities. It creates a $33 million trade exception, plus gives the Timberwolves room they can use to re-sign Ayo Dosunmu and target more players in free agency.

Julius Randle #30 of the Minnesota Timberwolves dribbles during the first half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Nov. 3, 2025, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Sarah Stier / Getty Images

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Randle, a three-time All-Star, will be moving to his fifth team after stints with New York, the Los Angeles Lakers, New Orleans and the Timberwolves. He averaged 21.1 points this past season, though shot just 39% from the field and 24% from 3-point range in Minnesota’s 12 playoff contests.

Claxton just finished his seventh NBA season, all with Brooklyn. He averaged 11.7 points this past season.

The 2026 NBA Draft begins Tuesday night.



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Keeping the ‘Classic’ Minnesota Flag – Minnesota Senate Republicans

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Keeping the ‘Classic’ Minnesota Flag – Minnesota Senate Republicans


At Senator Westrom’s St. Paul office, visitors are greeted by the classic Minnesota state flag, which the DFL leaders should not have taken away from Minnesotans.

However, local communities have the authority to keep flying it, like many have done, and Senator Westrom encourages communities interested in keeping it to do so.



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Bygones: ‘Wets’ had their day in 1926 Minnesota primary

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Bygones: ‘Wets’ had their day in 1926 Minnesota primary


News-Tribune, June 22, 1926

More Duluthians cast votes in yesterday’s primary election than in any primary in the city’s history. Statewide, the “wets” had their day, with M.J. Maas of St. Paul, a “light wine and beer” candidate, appearing victorious in the 4th Congressional District, and W.A. Pittenger of Duluth, similarly regarded as a “wet,” taking a commanding lead in the 8th.

News-Tribune, June 22, 1956

Following the deaths of a pilot and eight civilians in a crash in a residential area near Wold Chamberlain Field in Minneapolis, Duluth Mayor Eugene Lambert filed a request with the U.S. Air Force and Navy that jet training operations be transferred to Duluth, where congestion is less of a problem.

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News-Tribune, June 22, 1976

Ralph Nader named Duluth environmentalist Arlene Lehto one of America’s five “unsung heroines” for her contributions to pollution abatement. Lehto in 1969 organized the Save Lake Superior Association to fight pollution in the lake.

News Tribune, June 22, 2006

Duluth City Councilor Russ Stewart will present an ordinance to the council that extends the city’s existing standards for adult bookstores to adult entertainment. The move would allow the 62-year-old Club Saratoga to continue operation in the face of a state law prohibiting strip clubs within 500 feet of a residence or within 2,800 feet of churches and schools.

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Barrett Chase has been web editor for the News Tribune since 2015. You can email him at bchase@duluthnews.com or call him at 218-723-5310.





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