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Income

Asset limits
Income and asset limits by program (PDF)
Program FAQs

Most people must have income within a certain limit to qualify for Minnesota Health Care Programs. Income that is counted toward the income limit can be from wages, self-employment, unemployment insurance, child support, Social Security and other sources. Income is always counted before taxes. It is important to tell us about all income you receive.

How much income can I have and qualify?
How much income you can have depends on your age, the program you qualify for and who lives with you. Select the category below that best describes you or your family for the income limits in effect from July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013:

Pregnant women, children and parents
People who are blind or have a disability
People 65 or older
People who need help with Medicare costs

People who have disabilities and are employed
Adults without children
Family planning coverage
Breast and cervical cancer coverage

Whose income counts?
Whose income counts depends on the program you qualify for and your relationship to the people who live with you. You need to tell us about your income and the income of your spouse, parents or guardians, stepparents, children and stepchildren. We may not count everyone’s income toward the limit. We will know whose income to count when we have all of your information.

Can I still get coverage if my income is more than the limit?
Some people can be over the income limit and still get coverage using a “spenddown .” A spenddown is like an insurance deductible. You pay for part of your medical expenses and Medical Assistance pays the rest. The chart below tells you if you can qualify for a spenddown.

Minnesota Health Care Programs Income Limits

Effective July 1, 2012 through June 30, 2013

Pregnant women, children and parents


		Monthly income limit by household size				Over limit	Monthly premium
		One	Two	Three	More than three
Pregnant women (counted as a two people)
	Medical Assistance	--	$3,468	$4,376	Add $908 per person	May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare	--	$3, 468	$4,376	Add $908 per person	Do not qualify	Yes
Infants under age 2
	Medical Assistance	$2,607	$3,531	$4,455	Add $924 per person	May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare	No income limit				N/A	Yes*
Children ages 2-18
	Medical Assistance	$1,397	$1,892	$2,387	Add $495 per person	May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare	No income limit				N/A	Yes*
Children ages 19-20
	Medical Assistance	$931	$1,261	$1,591	Add $330 per person	May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare	No income limit				N/A	Yes*
Parents and relative caretakers with children under 19
	Medical Assistance	--	$1,261	$1,591	Add $330 per person	May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare	See Parents, legal guardians, foster parents and relative caretakers with children under 21
Parents, legal guardians, foster parents and relative caretakers with children under 21
	Medical Assistance	See Parents and relative caretakers with children under 19
	MinnesotaCare	--	$3,468	$4,376	Add $908 per person	Do not qualify if over limit for your family size or your gross yearly income is over $57,500	Yes

*There is no premium for children in households with income below certain limits.

People who are blind or have a disability, are 65 or older, or need help with Medicare costs


		Monthly income limit by household size						Over limit	Monthly premium
		One		Two	Three	More than three
People who are blind or have a disability
	Medical Assistance	$931	$1,261		$1,591	Add $330 per person		May qualify with a spenddown	No
	MinnesotaCare ** adults	$700 - $1,861	$948 - $2,521		--	--	Do not qualify		Yes
People who are 65 or older
	Medical Assistance	$931	$1,261		$1,591	Add $330 per person	May qualify with a spenddown		No
	MinnesotaCare **	$700 - $1,861	$948 - $2,521		--	--	Do not qualify		Yes
Help with Medicare costs
	Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB)	$951	$1,281		$1,611	Add $330 per person	Do not qualify		No
	Service Limited Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB)	$1,137	$1,533		$1,929	Add $396 per person	Do not qualify
	Qualifying Individuals (QI)	$1,277	$1,723		$2,169	Add $446 per person	Do not qualify
	Qualified Working Disabled (QWD)	$1,882	$2,542		$3,202	Add $660 per person	Do not qualify
People with disabilities who are employed
	Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD)	There is no income limit. Must have earned income of at least $65 per month and meet the MA-EPD definition of employment.							Yes

** People who have Medicare cannot qualify for MinnesotaCare. If you do not have Medicare and qualify for Medical Assistance with a spenddown, MinnesotaCare may be an option to consider depending on what services you need. The cost to you may be less. A county worker can help you decide what is best for you.

Adults without children


	Monthly income limit by household size		Over limit	Monthly premium
	One	Two
Medical Assistance	$699	$947	Do not qualify	No
MinnesotaCare***	$700 - $1,861	$948 - $2,521	Do not qualify	Yes
Healthy Minnesota Contribution Program	$1,862 - $2,328	$2,522 - $3,153	Do not qualify	Yes

***People whose monthly income is less than $700 for a household of one or $948 for a household of two must enroll in Medical Assistance.

Other programs


	Monthly income limit by household size				Over limit	Monthly premium
	One	Two	Three	More than three
Minnesota Family Planning Program	$1,862	$2,522	$3,182	Add $660 per person	Do not qualify	No
Medial Assistance for Breast and Cervical Cancer (MA-BCC)	See MA-BCC web page for details.					No

Contact us
County offices phone numbers and addresses
MinnesotaCare phone numbers and addresses

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