Bridge to Benefits  - Medical Assistance (MA)
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Medical Assistance (MA)
July 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008
  1. What is Medical Assistance?
  2. Who can get Medical Assistance?
  3. How does Medical Assistance work?
  4. What services are covered on Medical Assistance?
  5. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to get Medical Assistance?
  6. Does if matter how long I have lived in Minnesota?
  7. What are assets? What assets are counted for MA?
  8. Are there any asset limits for Medical Assistance?
  9. How is Medical Assistance different for pregnant women?
  10. Do I have to cooperate with the child support office to get Medical Assistance?
  11. How do I get an application for Medical Assistance?
  12. What is the application like?
  13. Do I have to go in person to apply?
  14. How soon will I be able to get on the program?
  15. What do I have to do to stay on the program?
  16. How often do I need to renew coverage for Medical Assistance?
  17. What is a premium?
  18. Are there premiums?
  19. What is a co-pay?
  20. Are there co-payments (co-pays)?
  21. Will Medical Assistance pay for medical bills for services I got before I got on Medical Assistance?

1. What is Medical Assistance?
It is a health insurance program for some Minnesotans with lower incomes. It is Minnesota’s name for Medicaid. It is usually a free program, although there are some small costs (co-pays) for parents.

Medical Assistance is administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services but eligibility and case management is done by county human services departments.

2. Who can get Medical Assistance?
Children (up to age 21), parents, pregnant women, people leaving MFIP, and people who are elderly, blind or disabled can all get Medical Assistance. (Adults who do not have children living in their household cannot get Medical Assistance unless they are elderly, blind or disabled.) You have to live in Minnesota. You also have to be a U.S. citizen or a legal immigrant (with an acceptable immigration status) to get MA. Most people also have to have income and assets below the limits to get MA. If you are getting help from the Center for Victims of Torture, you can be sure you can get help from MA.

NOTE: The rest of this document is written for children (up to age 21), parents (with children under age 21 living with them), and pregnant women who want to get help from MA. It does not talk about how MA works for other people, such as those who are elderly, blind or disabled, disabled children (TEFRA), or those who can get MA during the year after leaving MFIP. If you fall into one of those categories and want to know more about how MA works for you, click here for the Department of Human Services website.

3. How does Medical Assistance work?
Medical Assistance looks at every family member individually to see who can get help. Some people in your family may be able to get MA, but others may not. It is easier for young children and pregnant women to get MA than older children or parents. Once you have been accepted for Medical Assistance, you have to pick a managed care health plan (like Medica, BlueCross/BlueShield or HealthPartners). If you do not pick a plan, the county will pick one for you. You will get one card that says “Minnesota’s Health Care Programs” and another card from your health plan. You need to bring both cards when you go to the doctor, pharmacy or get any health service.

4. What services are covered on Medical Assistance?
MA pays for most health care services, but not everything. These things are covered: doctor and clinic visits, family planning, immunizations, prenatal care and delivery, inpatient (hospital) and outpatient surgery, prescription drugs, eye exams and eyeglasses, dental work and exams, child and teen check-ups, podiatry (foot) services, chiropractic care, medical equipment and supplies, rehabilitative therapies (PT, OT and speech), lab and x-ray services, alcohol and drug treatment (residential and outpatient), and mental health services.

5. Do I have to be a U.S. citizen to get Medical Assistance?
No. Immigrants with an acceptable immigration status can also get MA. But undocumented immigrants cannot get MA unless they are pregnant. Parents without acceptable immigration status can apply for their children as long as the children are U.S. citizens or have acceptable immigration status. Also, if only some people in your household are U.S. citizens or have acceptable immigration status, you can apply just for them. In an emergency, some undocumented immigrants can get help from Emergency MA. You will not have to supply immigration information for family members who are not applying for the program.
  • If you are receiving care or services from the Center for Victims of Torture, you are eligible for MA regardless of your immigration status, assets or income.
  • A new federal law requires some MA applicants and enrollees to prove that they are U.S. citizens and give proof of their identity when they apply for or renew their coverage. This includes U.S. nationals from American Samoa and Swains Island. You do not have to show proof if you are getting Medicare benefits or getting or previously received Supplemental Security Income (SSI).

6. Does if matter how long I have lived in Minnesota?
No. But you must plan to stay in Minnesota to get MA.

7. What are assets? What assets are counted for MA?
Assets are money or other things of value that you or your family own. Medical Assistance will count up some of your assets to see if you are over the limit. You do not have to count the home you live in or vehicles that you drive to work as an asset. Personal items such as clothes, furniture, jewelry and appliances are not counted. Retirement accounts are also not counted. Some examples of assets that are counted are cash, money in a checking or savings account at a bank, recreational vehicles like 4-wheelers, property that you do not live on, and stocks and bonds.

8. Are there any asset limits for Medical Assistance?
Yes. Families with two or more adults in the household cannot have countable assets worth over $20,000. If your household is over the limit, you cannot get MA. But, there are no asset limits for pregnant women or children under age 21. So if you are applying just for a pregnant woman or children, you do not have to worry about counting assets at all.

If you are receiving care or services from the Center for Victims of Torture, you are eligible for MA regardless of your immigration status, assets or income.

9. How is Medical Assistance different for pregnant women?
Pregnant women have different rules that make it easier for them to get MA. They do not have to count their assets because there is no asset limit for them. Also, pregnant women do not have to prove their immigration status. Because of this, some undocumented immigrants can get MA if they are pregnant, if their income is below the limit.

10. Do I have to cooperate with the child support office to get Medical Assistance?
For most people, yes. If you do not cooperate, you will not be able to get MA. But your children can get MA even if you do not cooperate with the child support office. However, if you have a good reason for not wanting to cooperate (for example, if you fear physical or emotional harm to you or your child), you may not have to cooperate. If this applies to you, you have to tell your worker that you want to claim “good cause.” You will have to fill out a form to explain your situation.

11. How do I get an application for Medical Assistance?
The application is called the Minnesota Health Care Programs Application. You can get one at your county human services office. You can also call 1-800-657-3672 and get an application mailed to your home (TTY service: 1-800-627-3529). You can also get applications on this website by clicking here.

12. What is the application like?
The application is 24 pages long, plus instructions. It is available in English, Spanish, Hmong, Somali, Khmer (Cambodian), Lao, Vietnamese, Arabic, Oromo, Serbo-Croatian (Bosnian) and Russian. The application will ask you about everyone who lives with you, how much money they make and what they own (assets). You will also have to provide copies of “documents of proof” that show your income (such as pay stubs or tax returns) and assets. You can complete the application yourself or you can get help filling it out from a county worker or other organizations. You can use the Program Directory on this website to find places that help in your county.

13. Do I have to go in person to apply?
No. You can apply for Medical Assistance by sending your application and documents of proof in the mail to your county human services office. You can also take them to your county human services office to turn them in.

14. How soon will I be able to get on the program?
After you send in your application and documents of proof, it usually takes about 1 or 2 months before you can get on the program. You will get a letter in the mail telling you if you are enrolled in Medical Assistance (you have been accepted). If you get a letter saying that your application is “pending,” that means you need to give your worker more information before you can get MA.

15. What do I have to do to stay on the program?
You have to tell your Medical Assistance worker about any changes in your household within 10 days of them happening. Things you must report include births, deaths, moving, income or job changes, and people moving in or out of your household. You also have to renew your coverage by mail. This means telling your worker updated information about you to make sure that you can still get MA.

16. How often do I need to renew coverage for Medical Assistance?
Every six months, you will have to renew your coverage. You will get a “Renewal Form” in the mail that asks you questions. Fill it out and mail it back right away so that you can keep getting your Medical Assistance. If you move, be sure to let a Medical Assistance worker know your new address so that you will get this letter.

17. What is a premium?
It is the amount of money you must pay every month to get some health insurance programs.

18. Are there premiums?
No. You do not need to pay money every month to get MA.

19. What is a co-pay?
It is a small amount of the total bill that you have to pay when you get some services (get a prescription, get eyeglasses, etc.).

20. Are there co-payments (co-pays)?
Children and pregnant women do not have any co-pays. Parents have small co-pays for some services. Click here for a list of covered services and co-pays.

21. Will Medical Assistance pay for medical bills for services I got before I got on Medical Assistance?
Yes. If you get accepted for MA, it will pay medical bills for health services that you got during the three months before you applied for MA (the day the county gets your application) providing that you can prove you met eligibility requirements during those three months.