Q: I need help paying for my child’s behavioral therapy program. I heard about the Medical Assistance program, and was told she will need to be certified disabled through the State Medical Review Team (SMRT). She was certified disabled through Social Security when we applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). How do we apply for Medical Assistance if she is already certified disabled through Social Security?
A: Medical Assistance (MA) is a health care program to help certain groups of people who need help paying for their healthcare. Applicants must meet residency, citizenship and income guidelines in order to be eligible. The State Medical Review Team uses the Social Security Administration (SSA)’s disability criteria to certify disabilities. If your child is receiving Social Security benefits, she has already been certified disabled federally and does not need to go through the SMRT process. When applying for MA, use the Application for Certain Populations which can be found here: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-3876-ENG.
Be sure to attach your “award letter” or benefits verification letter with the application. An “award letter” is an official letter from Social Security that states your child’s monthly benefit. For more information, see the Arc Guide to Medical Assistance and the Arc Guide to SSI. If you have additional questions, please call the Arc Minnesota at 952.920.0855.