This article is a section taken from Medical Assistance (MA), a part of the revisions and additions to the Minnesota Health Care Program Eligibility Policy Manual.
Medical Assistance (MA) County Residency
Medical Assistance (MA) has rules about county residence. County residency policy determines the:
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County of service
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County of financial responsibility
County of Service
The county of service is responsible for administering the case, including, but not limited to:
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Processing paper applications
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Processing change in circumstances
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Processing renewals
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Gathering proofs and documentation
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Issuing manual notices
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Creating case notes
County of Financial Responsibility
The county of financial responsibility is the county where the person lives on the day the county receives a written request for assistance. The county of financial responsibility is responsible for paying the county share of MA services.
When a person moves to a different county, the new county becomes the county of financial responsibility after two months, not including the month of the move.
When a person lives in an excluded time facility or receives excluded time services, the county of financial responsibility is the county in which the person lived immediately before the excluded time started.
Excluded Time
Excluded time facilities and situations include:
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Hospitals
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Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF)
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Shelters (other than emergency shelters)
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Halfway houses
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Foster homes for children receiving Title IV-E and Non-Title IV-E Foster Care
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Homes for children receiving Title IV-E and Non-Title IV-E Kinship Assistance
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Board and lodging facilities
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Maternity homes
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Battered women’s shelters
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Correctional facilities
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Regional treatment centers (RTC)
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Placement in a facility based on an emergency hold
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Placements in day training and habilitation programs
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Assisted living services
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Placements with an indeterminate commitment, including independent living
A person may receive excluded time services while living at home or in a group living situation. Excluded time services include:
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Participation in a rehabilitation facility which meets the definition of a long-term sheltered workshop
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Receipt of services from a Semi-Independent Living Services (SILS) Program
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Day training and habilitation programs
Safe at Home
When a person is a Safe at Home (SAH) program participant, they use a PO Box address assigned to them. SAH provides a mail forwarding service. The county of financial responsibility and county of residence are the county in which the person lives. More information about SAH Address Confidentiality Program is available from the Minnesota Secretary of State.
Legal Citations
Minnesota Statutes, section 256B.056, subdivision 1
Minnesota Statutes, section 5B, subdivision 1 to 13
CREDIT: The content of this post has been copied or adopted from the Minnesota Healthcare Programs Eligibility Policy Manual, originally published by the Minnesota Department of Human Services.
This is also part of a series of posts on Minnesota Healthcare Eligibility Policies.