The Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) program lets Minnesotans with disabilities work and earn any level of income, while keeping access to Medical Assistance (MA) coverage. MA-EPD also has a higher asset limit than MA usually does for people with disabilities. So, if you get MA due to your disability and start working, you can get MA-EPD and save up more money without losing your health coverage.
To qualify for MA-EPD, you must be:
To get MA-EPD, you have to pay a monthly premium based on your income and household size.
For detailed eligibility and application information, read DB101’s MA-EPD article.
With MA-EPD, you don't pay anything when you get a prescription drug (there are no copayments).
You do not have to participate in Medicare Part D to qualify for MA-EPD. But, if you refuse Part D coverage, you won't have any prescription drug coverage. MA-EPD will not pay for your prescription drugs if you are also eligible for Medicare. You should definitely enroll in both MA-EPD and Medicare if you can.
When you are enrolled in both, you automatically qualify for the Part D Low Income Subsidy. That means that if you enroll in a benchmark plan, you don’t have to pay any Part D premium or deductible. All you'll pay when you get a prescription drug is a $1.55 – $11.20 copayment.