Reporting to Your County

Minnesota Supplemental Aid

In addition to Social Security benefits, you may be getting Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA). If you are on MSA and you start working, you need to notify your County Financial Worker (if you have one) or your county human services agency.

Reporting requirements for MSA are similar to those for other state programs. You need to report your monthly earnings within the first 10 days after a change happens. The county also needs to know about your work and earnings in order to figure out your eligibility for SNAP and health care programs.

Medical Assistance

Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s name for the federal health care program called Medicaid.

MA pays for medically necessary health care services for many people in Minnesota who have disabilities.

If you meet the eligibility requirements, MA will pay for your visits to the doctor, hospital stays, prescription drugs, medical equipment, and other medical services.

To qualify for MA you must meet an income limit and, depending on how you qualify, you may also need to be below an asset limit. Because of this, working may affect your eligibility for MA. Depending upon how much you earn, you may be able to keep your MA when you are working.

Another program that can help you keep your MA when you work is the Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities (MA-EPD). To learn more about these programs, read DB101 sections on MA and MA-EPD.

If you begin to work and have questions about your eligibility for MA, Chat with a Hub expert.

MA and SSI 1619(b)

If you get SSI, you automatically qualify for standard MA, but you have to apply for it separately at your county human services agency.

Even if you earn enough money to make your SSI benefit drop to $0, you can keep your standard MA through Social Security’s 1619(b) provision. 1619(b) allows people on SSI who work to continue getting MA at no cost, even when their earnings reduce their SSI check to $0.

If you have been getting SSI and your SSI drops to $0 due to earnings from work, Social Security can place you into 1619(b) status. This is available only to people who get SSI.

1619(b) status can help you because:

• You can continue to get Medical Assistance (MA) benefits at no cost even when your SSI cash payments stop
• If your earned or unearned income drops, you may again be eligible for an SSI cash payment without having to reapply for benefits

In order to be eligible for Continued MA Eligibility under the Section 1619(b) rules, you must meet all of these criteria:

• Be eligible for an SSI cash payment for at least one month prior to accessing Section 1619(b)
• Be disabled
• Continue to meet the asset requirements for individuals ($2,000) or for a couple ($3,000), and
• Need MA in order to work

In addition:

• Your SSI payment must have stopped because of earnings from work, and
• Your gross earned income must be less than $74,611 per year (or possibly more if you have high health care expenses)