Emergency Medical Assistance

Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) covers emergency services for certain people who meet the financial and non-financial eligibility requirements for Medical Assistance (MA), but are not eligible due to their immigration status.

The following people may qualify for EMA:

• Noncitizens who do not have a lawfully present immigration status for MA eligibility, including noncitizens granted Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status
• Noncitizens age 21 and older with a lawfully present immigration status who are not eligible for MA because they do not have an MA qualified immigration status or who have not resided in the United States in a qualified status for five or more years
• Sponsored noncitizens who are not eligible for MA because of their sponsors' income or assets
• Sponsored noncitizens whose sponsor is not cooperating

People enrolled in MA for people receiving services from the Center for Victims of Torture (MA-CVT) may also be eligible for EMA if they have a medical emergency. This allows the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to claim federal reimbursement for the emergency medical costs.

Children with disabilities who are ineligible for MA due to immigration status may be eligible for EMA under the TEFRA option.

To qualify for EMA, a person must have a basis of eligibility for MA and must meet all the eligibility requirements for that basis of eligibility, with the exception of immigration status. A person's basis of eligibility determines the non-financial criteria and financial methodology used to determine EMA eligibility.

• MA for Families With Children and Adults (MA-FCA) Basis of Eligibility
• MA for People Who Are Age 65 or Older and People Who Are Blind or Have a Disability (MA-ABD) Basis of Eligibility

People may request retroactive eligibility for EMA up to three months before the month of application.

This subchapter includes policies that apply to EMA and links to policies that apply to all MA programs and all Minnesota Health Care Programs (MHCP) programs.

1. EMA General Requirements
2. MHCP Applications
3. EMA Mandatory Verifications
4. MA Responsibilities
5. MHCP Retroactive Eligibility
6. MHCP Rights
7. EMA Non-Financial Eligibility
8. MA-ABD Bases of Eligibility
9. MA-ABD Non-Financial Eligibility
10. MA-ABD Certification of Disability
11. MA-FCA Bases of Eligibility
12. MA-FCA Non-Financial Eligibility
13. MA County Residency
14. MA Living Arrangement
15. MHCP State Residency
16. MA-FCA Renewals
17. MA-ABD Renewals
18. EMA Financial Eligibility
19. MA-ABD Financial Eligibility
20. MA-FCA Financial Eligibility
21. MA under the TEFRA Option
22. EMA Post-Eligibility
23. MA Begin and End Dates
24. MA Benefit Recovery
25. MHCP Change in Circumstances
26. MA Cooperation
27. MA Cost Sharing
28. MHCP Fraud
29. EMA Health Care Delivery
30. MHCP Inconsistent Information
31. MA Referral for Other Benefits
32. MA-ABD Renewals
33. MA-FCA Renewals