I NEED HELP FINDING HEALTH INSURANCE
Hennepin County 612-596-1300
www.hennepin.us (Search "Medical Assistance")
Automated system available in several languages. Three medical programs are available through Hennepin County; Medical Assistance, General Assistance Medical Care, and Refugee Medical Care. A fourth program, MinnesotaCare, is available through the State of Minnesota. See below for descriptions of the programs.
Hennepin County Assured Access: 612-348-6141 (English), 612-596-6639 (Spanish/Español)
Assured Access is a network of clinics that provides services based on a sliding fee scale. Assured Access will confirm your income to determine if you are eligible to access sliding fee clinics in Hennepin County. An Assured Access card will be provided for those whose income fall under 250% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Assured Access is NOT health insurance and provides its card for FREE. This service is sponsored by Hennepin County. www.hennepin.us (Search "Assured Access")
Medical Assistance (MA):
A federal assistance program that helps pay for medical care and nursing home care of persons who cannot pay for their care; who meet specific income, asset and property guidelines; and who fall into one of the following categories of eligibility:
- under age 21 or age 65 and over, or
- disabled, or
- blind, or
- pregnant, or
- parents or caretakers of a child under age 19 (in some circumstances).
General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC):
A state assistance program that helps pay for medical care of persons who cannot pay for their care; who meet specific income, asset and property guidelines, and who are not in one of the categories of eligibility for Medical Assistance outlined above. GAMC does not cover nursing home care. Persons may be eligible only for GAMC or they may also be eligible for a cash assistance program and/or Food Stamps. Those who receive General Assistance (GA) will, with a few exceptions, also receive GAMC.
Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA):
A federal assistance program providing Medical Assistance to refugees who have been in the United States for eight months or less; who meet specific income, asset and property guidelines, and who are not in one of the categories of eligibility for Medical Assistance outlined above (Refugees who are eligible for Medical Assistance are served through that program). Refugees receiving Refugee Cash Assistance (RCA) are automatically eligible for RMA if they are not already MA eligible.
Hennepin County recipients of MA and GAMC choose a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) from which they receive all their health care services. Participation is mandatory for most MA and GAMC recipients. Clients under 65 who are certified disabled are exempt, as are a few other specific groups. The state uses MA and GAMC funds to pay the monthly premiums to the HMOs for our clients.
MinnesotaCare: 651-297-3862, 612-596-1300, 1-800-657-3672
A state-subsidized, low cost insurance program that helps pay for basic medical, dental, and preventative care. It is for uninsured residents of Minnesota who met specific income, asset and property guidelines.