Eligibility

MinnesotaCare is for families, adults without children, pregnant women, and children under 21.

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be a Minnesota resident (if you are an adult and do not have children living with you, or if your children are over age 21, you must have lived in Minnesota for at least six months to be considered a resident);
  • Provide or apply for a Social Security card number (unless you have religious objections);
  • Be a U.S. citizen or a noncitizen lawfully residing in the U.S.;
  • Have no other health insurance, including Medicare; and
  • Meet certain income and asset requirements.
You are not eligible for MinnesotaCare if:
  • You are eligible for Medicare, or
  • Your annual income is more than $57,500

You may not qualify for MinnesotaCare if:

  • Your current employer offers health insurance and pays half or more of the premium each month

  • You currently have or have had health insurance in the last four months

  • Your employer offered health insurance, paid half or more of the monthly premium, and stopped carrying the insurance during the last 18 months.

Some children may get MinnesotaCare even if they have insurance, have had insurance in the last four months or can get insurance through an employer.

All eligible children in a household who do not have other health coverage must enroll in MinnesotaCare if one child enrolls. All eligible spouses or parents in a household who do not have other health coverage must enroll in MinnesotaCare if one spouse or parent enrolls. This All or Nothing Rule ensures that all household members have equal access to health coverage.

The four-month rule

Usually, if you have had another type of health care coverage within the last 4 months, you won't qualify for MinnesotaCare. However, there are some exceptions to this rule. The four-month rule does not apply if you are in one of these situations:

  • You are under age 21 and have household income that is less than 150% of Federal Poverty Guidelines (FPG) ($2,882 per month for a family of 4)
  • You were enrolled in the Minnesota COBRA Premium Subsidy and your COBRA coverage ended in the last 4 months
  • Your health care coverage was determined cost-effective and you were also enrolled in MA, regardless of whether your coverage was paid for by MA
  • You paid for your coverage and also had MA with a spenddown, with the cost of your premium being applied to the MA spenddown

Application

You can apply online using ApplyMN. You can also apply by filling out the Minnesota Health Care Programs Application (HCAPP). If you’re applying for MinnesotaCare and Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), you should fill out the Minnesota DHS Combined Application Form or use Apply MN.

You can download these applications online or pick one up at a local medical clinic or your county human services agency. You can also call 1-800-657-3739 to have one mailed to you.

In addition to filling out the application completely, you will need to give:
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship and identity (for example, a U.S. passport, Certificate of Naturalization, Certificate of U.S. Citizenship).
    • Note: If you are eligible for Medicare or are getting SSI or SSDI, you do not have to give proof of citizenship and identity.
  • Proof of immigration status, if applicable (for example, your green card, I-551, I-94, visa, passport, or documentation from Immigration Services).
  • Your Social Security number.
  • Proof of income.
    • If you have a job, you will need to submit a statement from your employer verifying your income or pay stubs from the past 30 days.
    • If you are self-employed, you must submit copies of your most recent federal tax forms.
  • Proof of other income: If you are getting income from child support, SSI, SSDI, unemployment compensation or other sources, you must give proof of that income from the last 30 days (e.g., a copy of the check, an award letter).
  • Proof of assets (e.g., recent bank statements, copies of bonds, stocks, annuities, or other documents showing the value of assets).
  • Proof of pregnancy, if applicable.

If you are living with other family members, you will need to give information on them as well. See Appendix A of the Minnesota Health Care Programs Application (HCAPP) for detailed instructions on documentation you must submit with your application.

If you need help completing your application, Talk to an ExpertPopup Link or a Community Application Agent.

Where Do I Send My Application?

If you live in one of the counties highlighted on this map, you can send or bring your application to your county human services agency.

If you don’t live in one of the highlighted counties, you can mail your application to:

MinnesotaCare State Office
P.O. Box 64838
St. Paul, MN 55164

Or you can submit your completed application in person at:

MinnesotaCare State Office
Elmer L. Andersen Building
540 Cedar Street - 1st floor
St. Paul, MN 55101

You should get a letter four to six weeks after submitting your application letting you know if you’ve been approved for the program.

If you have questions about your application, you can call your county human service agency or the MinnesotaCare State office at 1-800-657-3672.