The Medicaid program of Minnesota State, known as the “Medical Assistance Programme covers about 500,000 people every month” (Dowd 117-134). It is the largest health care program of Minnesota, funded publicly for people not able to get health insurance otherwise. Funding is provided jointly by the state and the federal funds. The overseeing of the Medicaid program is done statewide by the “Minnesota Department of Human Services” (Frakt 88-100) and nationwide by the federal “Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services” (Dowd 117-134).
“More than two-thirds of those enrolled to receive all their health care through health plans. The remaining gets care on a fee-for-service basis, under which providers bill the state directly for services provided” (Minnesota Department of Human Services Online 1).
Eligibility criteria
- Pregnant women – There is no assets limit for pregnant women to get coverage and coverage can be achieved even there are other health insurances also. The income level for a household of two and three is respectively $3350 and $4200. $850 will be added for every extra person after that. Coverage starts the month after approval and it might continue after the baby’s birth as per rules for the parents. The baby if gets coverage till the first birthday if the birth month is covered (Dowd 117-134).
- Children and families – Income levels for infants below 2 years are $2530, $3500, and $4280 for 1, 2, and 3 person households respectively, $870 for each extra head. For children aged 2 to 18 the values are $1350, $1820, $2300 and $470 each for extra people. For children aged 19 – 20 and the parents or caretakers with children below 19, the values are $900, $1220, $1530, and $310 per extra person. No asset limit for children and houses and cars are don’t count under the asset limit for adults. Parents might have co-pays (Dowd 117-134).
- Adults with disabilities – A must be certified disabled or blind by the Social Security Administration or State Medical Review Team. $900, $1220, $1530 are the income limits for 1, 2, and 3 people households respectively, and $310 per extra person. People can gain eligibility even with higher income or employment under different categories (Dowd 117-134).
- Children with disabilities – Certification of disability is a must by SSA or SMRT. Children under 21 have no asset limits. The parents with higher asset limits can also get children covered through other programs.
- People of 65 or older – “$903, $1215, $1527 are the income limits for 1, 2 and 3 people households respectively and $312 per extra person for this criteria” (Frakt 88-100). There is an asset limit and retirement accounts are counted separately. Lien might be filed against the house in case of a nursing homestay.
- Adults without children – Income limits for Household sizes of 1, 2 and 3 person households are “$677, $911 and $1145 and $234 per extra person” (Frakt 88-100). People above these limits are not eligible. Asset limits are there which do not include houses and cars.
- 19 and 20-year-olds – Children below 21 can be covered even if still living with parents but they can apply on their own or with the help of their parents. No asset limits below 21. Income limits have been stated above.
- Noncitizens – Non-U.S citizens can also get coverage in case of emergency or pregnancy. On some occasions, full coverage is also possible (Dowd 117-134).
S CHIP
SCHIP or “State Children’s Health Insurance Program” (Dowd 117-134) is a federal health care coverage funding program running for more than the past 10 years which covers thousands of families and children of Minnesota. The program is called Cover the Uninsured. This program covers children of parents who either are not getting any insurance coverage from their jobs or are not able to afford the available ones. This program has reduced the number of uninsured children drastically (Frakt 88-100).
Children of lower-income groups whose parents work full time and full year and earning are up to two times the federal poverty level are generally eligible for the coverage. Services offered under this coverage are immunization and care of babies, doctor visits and hospitalizations, dental and eye care, prescriptions of medicines and equipment, etc. (Dowd 117-134)
Works Cited
Dowd, Bryan. ‘Health plan enrollment and mortality in the Medicare program’. Health Economics 19.4, (2010): 117-134.
Frakt, Austin B. ‘Beneficiary price sensitivity in the Medicare prescription drug plan market’. Health Economics 19.1, (2010): 88-100.
Minnesota Department of Human Services Online. Medical Assistance. 2010. Web.