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Home > 03.30.35ar1 Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) (Archive)

Medical Assistance for People Receiving Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) (Archive)

People who are eligible for the cash assistance program Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) are automatically eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) without a separate application or eligibility determination. People must be age 65 or older, blind, or disabled to receive MSA.

Most MSA recipients also receive Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and/or Retirement, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (RSDI).

Note:  Some MA enrollees who live in long-term care facilities or receive elderly waiver (EW) services also receive MSA. For those people, MA eligibility is determined separately, and a long-term care budget must be completed. This section does not address the requirements and exceptions for this group. See the Combined Manual for more information on MSA eligibility requirements.

Eligibility factors and links to standard program guidelines are provided below.

Application Process.

Eligibility Begin Date.

Renewals.

Verifications.

Social Security Number.

Citizenship/Immigration Status.

Residency.

Insurance and Benefit Recovery.

Household Composition.

Eligibility Method.

Asset Guidelines.

Income Guidelines.

Deductions/Disregards.

Spenddowns.

Covered Services.

Service Delivery.

Other Requirements.

End of Eligibility Basis.

Relationship to Other Groups/Bases.

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Application Process  (standard guidelines)

No separate application is needed because MA is automatic with MSA eligibility.

Eligibility Begin Date  (standard guidelines)

Automatic MA eligibility is available effective the first of the month in which MSA is approved.

Note:  Applicants can be eligible for up to three months of retroactive MA coverage without a separate application, but they must meet all MA eligibility requirements in the retroactive months.

Renewals  (standard guidelines)

Six-month renewals are not required for people who receive MA automatically with MSA.

Verifications  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

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Social Security Number  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Citizenship/Immigration Status  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Residency  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

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Insurance and Benefit Recovery  (standard guidelines)

Most Medicare-enrolled MSA recipients are automatically accreted to the Buy-In, so have no need for Medicare Savings Program eligibility. People age 65 or older who receive SSI only need to apply for Medicare and be enrolled in the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) program.

Household Composition  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Eligibility Method  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

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Asset Guidelines  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Income Guidelines  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Deductions/Disregards  (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

Spenddowns (standard guidelines)

Follow MSA guidelines.

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Covered Services  (standard guidelines)

Follow standard MA guidelines.

Service Delivery  (standard guidelines)

Follow the disabled guidelines.

Other Requirements

MSA recipients must comply with MA requirements to assign rights to support to maintain automatic eligibility for MA.

End of Eligibility Basis

Follow standard MA guidelines.

Relationship to Other Groups/Bases  (standard guidelines)

MSA recipients do not have to accept MA. They may decline health care coverage. They may not choose state-funded coverage through MinnesotaCare or GAMC.

See Insurance and Benefit Recovery above for information about MSA recipients and the Medicare Savings Programs.

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