Health Care Insurance & Financial Resources

Medical Assistance (MA)

What?
MA, Minnesota's Medicaid program, is funded through federal and state budgets and pays for medical care for very low income Minnesotans. MA is approved for 6 months at a time for those eligible. At the end of the 6 months, MA requires recertification to make sure you are still eligible for coverage. MA includes an option for retroactive coverage. This means that if you are approved, MA will cover any medical expenses incurred within the 3 months prior to the application date. The 3 months prior to your application date count towards the 6 month recertification, and you would need to reapply for MA 3 months after your first application was submitted. Spenddown: If you are over the income and asset limits for your family size, there is the option of spending down to reach the upper limit. Medical or dental bills paid in the last three months, unpaid medical or dental bills, and loan payments for medial bills can be subtracted from your income to get the total amount down to the income limit for your family size and allow you to qualify for MA. To qualify for recertification after 6 months, you would need to spenddown again. Note: MA is not the same program as Medicare, which is a federally funded program only for people 65 and older and some under age 65 with certain disabilities.

Who?
On March 1, 2011, MAs eligibility requirements expanded and became available to adults without children, under 21, and living in the home. To be eligible for MA, you must meet at least one eligibility requirement. You must: Live in Minnesota Have income and assets below the limit (determined based on family size) Be a pregnant woman; newborns are automatically eligible until they are 1 year old if they are born to mother on MA at birth Be a parent with dependent children under age 19 in the home Be elderly (age 65 or older) Meeting these requirements does not necessarily mean that you will be approved for MA. You will need to apply through your local county human services office to find out if you are eligible.

Where?
For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Human Services website.