- MA for Children in Foster Care
2.5.6.3 Medical Assistance for Children in Foster Care (MA-FC)
All children in foster care, regardless of Title IV-E eligibility, are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA-FC) the month the child enters foster care, without a health care application or financial eligibility requirements.
Children in foster care are required to enroll in managed care and receive the same MA covered services as other MA-eligible children. See DHS-3860 for a list of covered services. Children in foster care do not have co-pays or other cost sharing.
Overview of Foster Care
Foster care is temporary out-of-home care for children. Children who cannot safely remain with their family may be placed in a family foster home or group residential facility. This includes youth age 18-21 in extended foster care who move to supervised independent living settings, such as a dorm or apartment.
When a child enters foster care, the county or tribal social services agency is granted legal responsibility for the child. A social services case manager is assigned to the child to determine the need and appropriateness, authority, and funding for the child’s foster care placement. The case manager acts on the child’s behalf to ensure the child receives necessary services and benefits, including Medical Assistance (MA) eligibility, while in placement. The case manager collaborates with the health care eligibility worker to obtain information needed to approve MA immediately upon placement in foster care and to maintain MA eligibility for the child throughout placement.
The foster care placement begins the date the child is removed from their home by the authority of a 72-hour law enforcement emergency protective hold (i.e. 72-hour hold), court order, or voluntary placement agreement.
Children enter foster care in a variety of ways, such as:
- Child is court ordered into placement, under the placement responsibility of the county or tribal social service agency, through the juvenile court or tribal court as a child protection matter.
- Child's removal is initiated by a delinquency court petition and
- the county or tribal social service agency was given placement responsibility through a court action or by the signing of a Voluntary Placement Agreement, or
- the county/community corrections department has placement responsibility and there is a Title IV-E agreement in place between the social service agency and corrections department making them a designee of the social service agency, or
- the social service agency and corrections department are considered an umbrella agency (Umbrella Counties are Dakota, Nobles and Olmsted County).
- Child is removed under the authority of a 72-hour hold.
- Voluntary placement through an agreement between the parent and the county or tribal social service agency.
- Voluntary placement agreement between a youth, age 18 to 21 who is remaining in or re-entering extended foster care, and county or tribal social service agency.
Trial Home Visits
A child who returns home on a trial home visit (THV) remains in foster care and eligible for MA under the foster care basis of eligibility. Children on a THV are considered to be in foster care because the county or tribal social service agency has care and placement responsibility for the child during the THV.
72-Hour Hold
A child who is removed under the authority of a 72-hour hold is in foster care and is eligible for MA under the foster care basis of eligibility, regardless of whether a court order has been issued to transfer placement and care responsibility to the county or tribe.
This chapter includes policies that apply to MA for children in foster care.
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Children in foster care are not required to apply for other benefits as a condition of MA eligibility.
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Legal Citations
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Code of Federal Regulations, title 42, section 435.145
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Minnesota Statues, section 256B.055