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MinnesotaCare

MinnesotaCare overview

MinnesotaCare is a publicly subsidized program for Minnesota residents who do not have access to affordable health care coverage. The program served an average of 148,000 people each month in state fiscal year 2011. It has been critical to helping people leave welfare and go to work without losing health care coverage. The program is funded by a state tax on Minnesota hospitals and health care providers, federal Medicaid matching funds and enrollee premiums.

Most people are not eligible if their employer offers health insurance and pays at least half of the monthly cost. There are exceptions to this rule for some children.

Most enrollees pay a monthly premium, determined by a sliding-fee scale based on family size and income. There are exceptions for some military families and American Indians. Many enrollees pay their premium online .

All health care services are provided through health plans. People can choose their health plan from those serving MinnesotaCare enrollees in their county.

Applications can be sent to the state MinnesotaCare office or certain county offices that also administer the program. For more information about applying, click on How to apply in the left column of this page.

Related information

• Minnesota Health Care Programs fact sheet (PDF)

• Detailed information about program costs and funding sources, as well as enrollment breakdowns by county, is in reports produced by the department’s Reports and Forecasts division.

• Legislative summaries are available on the department’s fact sheets page.

Contact us

Phone numbers and addresses for state and county offices that handle MinnesotaCare

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