*** The Health Care Programs Manual (HCPM) has been replaced by the Minnesota Health Care Programs Eligibility Policy Manual (EPM) as of June 1, 2016. Please refer to the EPM for current health care program policy information. ***
Effective: January 1, 2013 |
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07.10 - Where to Apply |
Archived: June 1, 2016 (Previous Versions) |
Clients have a choice of sites at which to apply for health care. This section explains where applicants may apply and when to process or transfer an application.
Applications Sent to County Agency.
Applications Sent to MinnesotaCare Operations.
County MinnesotaCare Enrollment Sites.
Some clients have the option of applying at two different locations.
l Clients who are applying for all health care programs should apply at the county agency where they live, which is their county of residence.
Note: The county of financial responsibility must accept an application from a client residing in another county, although the client has the option to file it with the county of residence.
l Clients who are applying for MinnesotaCare only should apply at either:
n MinnesotaCare Operations at DHS.
n The county agency where they live, if that county is a MCRE enrollment site.
Forward applications, related information and verifications to the agency processing the application, as necessary. See Shared or Transferred Applications.
ApplyMN routes applications and attachments instantly to the appropriate processing agency's Minnesota Information Transfer System (MN-ITS) mailbox - an online storage system - based on the county of residence, tribal affiliation and the program(s) being requested. Requests for MinnesotaCare route to the county of residence if that county is a MinnesotaCare enrollment site. Otherwise, it routes to MinnesotaCare Operations.
A single ApplyMN application may route to more than one mailbox if there is more than one processing agency. Determine which programs the client is applying for and which of those your agency is responsible for processing.
Example:
Stephanie and her three children apply for cash assistance, Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP),
and MinnesotaCare. She is a member of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe and
she lives in Hennepin County. She requests Tribal TANF. ApplyMN simultaneously
routes the application to Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, Hennepin County and
MinnesotaCare Operations. The same application will appear in each agency’s
MN-ITS mailbox.
Action:
Review the application to determine which programs the applicants are requesting.
Determine which programs your agency is responsible for processing. Mille
Lacs Band of Ojibwe determines eligibility for cash assistance and SNAP.
Hennepin County determines eligibility for CCAP. Since Hennepin County
does not process MinnesotaCare eligibility, MinnesotaCare Operations determines
eligibility for MinnesotaCare.
Applications Sent to County Agency
Process applications sent to a county agency as follows:
l Determine eligibility for MA first if the applicant requests all health care programs or does not indicate a choice of health care program. Deny MA if the client is not eligible and either process MCRE eligibility or transfer the file to MCRE Operations at DHS. See Shared or Transferred Applications.
l If the applicant requests MinnesotaCare only, process as follows:
n Counties that are MinnesotaCare enrollment sites must determine MinnesotaCare eligibility. Do not determine MA eligibility if MinnesotaCare is denied. Do not process or deny MA.
n Counties that are not MinnesotaCare enrollment sites must transfer the application to MinnesotaCare Operations. See Shared or Transferred Applications.
Note: ApplyMN applications will route automatically to the appropriate county or tribal agency if the applicant applied for all health care programs (MA and MinnesotaCare). These applications do not route automatically to MinnesotaCare Operations. Follow current transfer procedures to route the application to MinnesotaCare Operations if MA is denied, no matter the application format used by the applicant.
Applications Sent to MinnesotaCare Operations
Process applications sent to MinnesotaCare Operations as follows:
l Process MinnesotaCare eligibility first if the application used does not allow the applicant to choose to apply for all health care programs or MinnesotaCare only (for example, a CAF or pre-1/09 HCAPP). Transfer the application to the county where the applicant resides if MinnesotaCare is denied, as appropriate. See Shared or Transferred Applications.
l Process as follows if the application allows the applicant to choose to apply for all health care programs or MinnesotaCare only:
n MA eligibility must be determined first if the applicant requests all health care programs or does not indicate a choice of health care program. Transfer the application to the county to process MA. See Shared or Transferred Applications.
n Determine eligibility for MinnesotaCare if the applicant requests MinnesotaCare only. See Informed Choice. Do not determine MA eligibility if MinnesotaCare is denied. Do not process or deny MA.
County MinnesotaCare Enrollment Sites
Clients may apply for MinnesotaCare at DHS MinnesotaCare Operations or at their county agency, if the county agency is a MCRE enrollment site.
When people apply at MinnesotaCare Operations or a county MinnesotaCare enrollment site, the initial site retains the case until the applicant submits all verifications and DHS receives the initial premium payment. A client may request that their case be transferred prior to the initial determination if the client is receiving assistance from the county enrollment site to obtain verifications. After enrollment, the enrollee may request a transfer either verbally or in writing. Transfer the case file within five working days from the date of the request.
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians operates Tribal TANF, a program similar to the Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP). The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians determines SNAP and MA eligibility for families receiving benefits under the Tribal TANF program.
Certain applicants applying for cash assistance with ApplyMN may request that their application route to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe also processes eligibility for SNAP and MA if an applicant requests those programs. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe does not process eligibility for MinnesotaCare or CCAP.
Two tribes participating in the American Indian Child Welfare Initiative (AICWI), the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, process MA for AICWI children in foster care. They will continue to use the paper application when applying for health care on behalf of AICWI children in foster care.
Clients may also apply at other locations besides the county for MA. These include:
l Residents of Regional Treatment Centers (RTC) may file application with the RTC reimbursement officer who will take the application and forward it to the county of residence.
l Authorized representatives applying on a client’s behalf may apply in any of the following counties and that county will forward the application to the client’s county of residence after processing:
n The client’s county of residence.
n The client’s county of financial responsibility.
n The authorized representative’s county of residence.
Note: An authorized representative should send a HCAPP requesting MinnesotaCare only to MinnesotaCare Operations. MinnesotaCare Operations sends the application to the client’s county of residence for processing when the application is sent to MinnesotaCare Operations and the applicant does not request MinnesotaCare only.
l Pregnant women and children may apply at locations other than the county agency, known as outstation locations. These outstation locations may include:
n Hospitals.
n Clinics.
n Other county and state designated locations.
l Authorized providers may accept applications and determine presumptive eligibility for MA for Breast and Cervical Cancer (MA-BC).
l Providers may assist applicants who are unable to request health care at the time of admission to a facility in submitting a request for assistance to the county agency.
l Minnesota Community Application Agent (MNCAA) program sites may assist applicants with completing and filing an application. See Minnesota Community Application Agent (MNCAA) Program for more information.
l Certified Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP) Providers may accept applications and determine presumptive eligibility for MFPP.