What Are Income Guidelines for Medical Assistance in Minnesota?

Minnesota's health assistance and public health insurance programs are generally governed under the Medicaid program, a federally subsidized but state-administered health insurance, screening and care program designed to support disadvantaged children, low income families, the poor and the indigent. There are a number of different programs in Minnesota, each with their own incomes and asset guidelines. Generally, Minnesota defines its income guidelines as a multiple of the federal poverty line for a family of a given size. Larger families are therefore awarded more lenient guidelines.

MinnesotaCare

• The MinnesotaCare health insurance program covers adults with incomes at or below 250 percent of the federal poverty line for adults with no children and with incomes up to 275 percent of the federal poverty line for pregnant women and children under age 21, as well as parents and legal guardians of children under 21. There is no asset limit in place for pregnant women and children, however, the other groups are not eligible if they have total assets in excess of $10,000 for one person, or $20,000 for two or more covered individuals in the household.

Medical Assistance

• Guidelines for the Minnesota Medical Assistance program vary depending on the covered individual or individuals, but pregnant women are covered with no asset cap if their incomes are below $3,340 per month for a two-person household or 275 percent of the federal poverty line. Children under age two are covered if household income is under 280 percent of the federal poverty line. Children up to age 18 are covered if income is below 150 percent of the federal poverty line, and children ages 19 to 20 are covered if their household income is below the poverty line. There are no asset limits in place for children. Their parents are covered if their incomes are under 100 percent of FPL, and they have under $10,000 in total assets, or $20,000 for couples.

Elderly and Blind Medical Assistance

• Elderly, blind and disabled individuals qualify if their incomes do not exceed the FPL, currently $903 for an individual or $1,215 for a two-person household. Total assets cannot exceed $3,000 for one individual or $6,000 for a couple. You must exhaust your own personal assets before you can qualify for this program. However, you can get coverage if you are disabled and employed with no income limit and an asset limit of $20,000, as long as you have earnings in excess of $65 per month. Expect to pay a premium for this program based on your income.

General Assistance

• This is Minnesota's most expansive program, providing benefits to Minnesota's poorest individuals. To qualify, you cannot have household assets in excess of $1,000, nor income exceeding 75 percent of FPL. As of 2011, that is equivalent to $677 for an individual and $911 for a couple.