MHCP Program Overviews

Program Overviews

Several programs provide Minnesota families and individuals affordable health coverage. Programs include public health care programs and help buying private health insurance.

Minnesota Health Care Programs

Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) are public health care programs administered by county, tribal, and state servicing agencies under the supervision of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS).

Medical Assistance

Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s name for the federal Medicaid program. Congress created Medicaid in 1965 as Title XIX of the Social Security Act, signed into law July 30, 1965, establishing the foundational authority for federal Medicaid funding and state plan requirements. County servicing agencies administer MA under the supervision of DHS. MA provides health care coverage for low-income Minnesotans. Federal, state, and county dollars fund MA: federal funds cover the federal share, and Minnesota statute divides the remaining nonfederal share between the state and the counties. See the MA chapter for more information.

MinnesotaCare

MinnesotaCare is a publicly funded state health care program the Legislature established in 1992. MinnesotaCare operates as a Basic Health Program authorized under Section 1331 of the Affordable Care Act, codified at 42 U.S.C. § 18051. Federal dollars (received as a Basic Health Program under Section 1331), state dollars from Minnesota’s health care access fund, and enrollee premiums fund MinnesotaCare. See the MinnesotaCare chapter for more information.

Medicare Savings Programs

People eligible for Medicare may also be eligible for a Medicare Savings Program (MSP). People may be eligible for these programs (which help with costs such as Medicare premiums, coinsurance, and deductibles) instead of or in addition to MA. Minnesota administers four such programs through Medical Assistance: the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB), Service Limited Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB), Qualifying Individual (QI), and Qualified Working Disabled (QWD) programs. See the MSP chapter for more information.

Minnesota Family Planning Program

The Minnesota Family Planning Program (MFPP) is a medical assistance demonstration project that improves access to coverage of pre-pregnancy family planning services for low-income Minnesotans. To be eligible for the program, an individual must have family income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, and services are available on a presumptive eligibility basis. See the MFPP chapter for more information.

Other Insurance Affordability Programs

MNsure, Minnesota’s state-based health insurance exchange, administers eligibility for the federal advance premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions, and unassisted qualified health plans. Eligibility policy related to these programs is available from MNsure.

Legal Citations

Code of Federal Regulations, title 26, section 1.36B-1 (premium tax credit definitions)
Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, section 155.305 (eligibility standards)
Code of Federal Regulations, title 45, section 155.340 (administration of advance payments of the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions)
Title XIX of the Social Security Act, Public Law 89-97, section 121(a) (July 30, 1965, 79 Stat. 343); 42 U.S.C. § 1396-1
42 U.S.C. § 18051 (Affordable Care Act § 1331, Basic Health Program)
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256B (Medical Assistance for Needy Persons); sections 256B.01, 256B.04, 256B.19, 256B.057, and 256B.78
Minnesota Statutes, chapter 256L (MinnesotaCare); section 256L.02
Minnesota Statutes, sections 62V.03 and 62V.05 (MNsure)

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.