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Medical Assistance

2.1.2.3 County Residency (Archive)

Medical Assistance (MA) has rules about county residence. County residency policy determines the:

  • County of service

  • County of financial responsibility

County of Service

The county of service is responsible for administering the case, including, but not limited to:

  • Processing paper applications

  • Processing change in circumstances

  • Processing renewals

  • Gathering proofs and documentation

  • Issuing manual notices

  • Creating case notes

County of Financial Responsibility

The county of financial responsibility is responsible for paying the county share of MA services. The county of financial responsibility is the county where the person lives on the day the county receives a written request for assistance, except in the following circumstances:

  • When an enrollee moves to a different county, the new county becomes the county of financial responsibility after two full calendar months following the month of the move.

  • When an applicant moves to a new county during the application processing period, the county that received the application is financially responsible, whether or not that county has acted on the application. The new county becomes the county of financial responsibility after two full calendar months following the month of the move.

  • When a person lives in an excluded time facility or receives excluded time services, the county of financial responsibility is the county in which the person lived immediately before the excluded time started.

Excluded Time

Excluded time facilities and situations include:

  • Hospitals

  • Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF)

  • Shelters (other than emergency shelters)

  • Halfway houses

  • Foster homes for children receiving Title IV-E and Non-Title IV-E Foster Care

  • Homes for children receiving Title IV-E and Non-Title IV-E Kinship Assistance

  • Adult foster care

  • Board and lodging facilities

  • Maternity homes

  • Battered women's shelters

  • Correctional facilities

  • Regional treatment centers (RTC)

  • Placement in a facility based on an emergency hold

  • Placements in day training and habilitation programs

  • Assisted living services

  • Placements with an indeterminate commitment, including independent living

A person may receive excluded time services while living at home or in a group living situation. Excluded time services include:

  • Participation in a rehabilitation facility which meets the definition of a long-term sheltered workshop

  • Receipt of services from a Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS) Program

  • Day training and habilitation programs

Safe at Home

When a person is a Safe at Home (SAH) program participant, they use a PO Box address assigned to them. SAH provides a mail forwarding service. The county of financial responsibility and county of residence are the county in which the person lives. More information about SAH Address Confidentiality Program is available from the Minnesota Secretary of State.

Legal Citations

Minnesota Statutes, section 5B, subdivision 1 to 13

Minnesota Statutes, section 256G.02, subdivision 4

Minnesota Statutes, section 256G.02, subdivision 6

Minnesota Statutes, section 256J.75, subdivision 2

Published:  April 1, 2019

Archived: June 1, 2019