Medical Assistance for Peopole Who Are Incarcerated

2.5.5.1.1 Applications

People who are incarcerated may apply for Medical Assistance (MA) at any time. Agencies must determine eligibility according to regular MA application processing rules and timelines, regardless of a person’s anticipated release date. See EPM section 1.2.4 MHCP Processing Period for more information. The Individual Discharge Information Sheet (DHS-3443) is not required to be completed with the applicable Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) application to be determined eligible for MA.

People who are incarcerated and determined eligible for MA must have their coverage suspended, except for inpatient hospitalization services, until they are released.

Health Care Application

The demographics of a person who is incarcerated determine which paper application they must complete.

If the applicant is a current MA enrollee who becomes hospitalized while incarcerated, the MHCP MA Payment for Inpatient Hospital Care for Inmates. The Medical Assistance Payment for Inpatient Hospital Care for Incarcerated People (DHS-6696G) can be submitted without completing a new MHCP application.

If the individual who is incarcerated is not a current MA enrollee then the DHS-6696G must be submitted along with a MHCP application (either the MNsure application (DHS-6696) or the MHCP Application for Certain Populations (DHS-3876).

The completed paper application and/or DHS-6696G must be submitted :

After the person is discharged from the hospital but no later than three calendar months after the month in which the person was admitted, or
If the person is hospitalized, or expected to be hospitalized, for more than three calendar months, then within three calendar months after the month the person was admitted to the hospital, or
After the preadmission screening (PAS) has been completed and the person has met institutional level-of-care (LOC) requirements for payment of long-term care.

A correctional facility staff member must help the person complete the application process.

The correctional facility is responsible for notifying the hospital or long-term care facility (LTCF) of the person’s eligibility status and the person’s Person Master Index (PMI) number.

Applications for Incarcerated People Preparing for Release

When a person who is incarcerated applies for MA prior to their release, the agency must verify both the incarceration and release dates. The release date may be verified by any of the following:

The actual date of release from the Facility Section on DHS-5038
The actual date of release from the Facility Section on DHS-3443
Phone or fax contacts with the facility
Official correspondence from the facility with the release date listed
Official lists provided to the county agency by the facility containing the incarcerated individual’s name and release date
Department of Corrections website
Official jail roster

For a person who applies for MA while preparing for release, their MHCP application is submitted to the county or tribal servicing agency where the person lived immediately before entering the correctional facility. For a person whose MA was closed while they were incarcerated for less than a year, who is requesting MA be reopened, their DHS-5038 Request to Reopen MA is submitted to the county or tribal servicing agency where the person lived immediately before entering the correctional facility. If the previous county of residence is unknown or the person lived in another state immediately before being incarcerated, the completed forms are sent to the county or tribal servicing agency where the person plans to live after release.

The county of financial responsibility for an incarcerated person preparing for release is the agency in which the person resided immediately before entering the correctional facility. If the previous county of residence is unknown or the person lived in another state immediately before being incarcerated, the financially responsible agency is the county or tribe in which the facility is located.

Legal Citations

Minnesota Statute 256B.055, subdivision 14

Minnesota Statutes, section 256G.01, subdivision 4

Minnesota Statutes, section 256G.02, subdivision 4 and 6

Minnesota Statutes, section 256G.08, subdivision 2