2006 Minnesota Statutes

256L.17 ASSET REQUIREMENT FOR MINNESOTACARE.
    Subdivision 1. Definitions. For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply.
(a) "Asset" means cash and other personal property, as well as any real property, that a family
or individual owns which has monetary value.
(b) "Homestead" means the home that is owned by, and is the usual residence of, the family
or individual, together with the surrounding property which is not separated from the home by
intervening property owned by others. Public rights-of-way, such as roads that run through the
surrounding property and separate it from the home, will not affect the exemption of the property.
"Usual residence" includes the home from which the family or individual is temporarily absent
due to illness, employment, or education, or because the home is temporarily not habitable due to
casualty or natural disaster.
(c) "Net asset" means the asset's fair market value minus any encumbrances including, but
not limited to, liens and mortgages.
    Subd. 2. Limit on total assets. (a) Effective July 1, 2002, or upon federal approval,
whichever is later, in order to be eligible for the MinnesotaCare program, a household of two or
more persons must not own more than $20,000 in total net assets, and a household of one person
must not own more than $10,000 in total net assets.
(b) For purposes of this subdivision, assets are determined according to section 256B.056,
subdivision 3c .
(c) State-funded MinnesotaCare is not available for applicants or enrollees who are otherwise
eligible for medical assistance but fail to verify assets. Enrollees who become eligible for
federally funded medical assistance shall be terminated from state-funded MinnesotaCare and
transferred to medical assistance.
    Subd. 3. Documentation. (a) The commissioner of human services shall require individuals
and families, at the time of application or renewal, to indicate on a checkoff form developed by
the commissioner whether they satisfy the MinnesotaCare asset requirement. This form must
include the following or similar language: "To be eligible for MinnesotaCare, individuals and
families must not own net assets in excess of $30,000 for a household of two or more persons or
$15,000 for a household of one person, not including a homestead, household goods and personal
effects, assets owned by children, vehicles used for employment, court-ordered settlements up to
$10,000, individual retirement accounts, and capital and operating assets of a trade or business up
to $200,000. Do you and your household own net assets in excess of these limits?"
(b) The commissioner may require individuals and families to provide any information
the commissioner determines necessary to verify compliance with the asset requirement, if the
commissioner determines that there is reason to believe that an individual or family has assets that
exceed the program limit.
    Subd. 4. Penalties. Individuals or families who are found to have knowingly misreported the
amount of their assets as described in this section shall be subject to the penalties in section 256.98.
The commissioner shall present recommendations on additional penalties to the 1998 legislature.
    Subd. 5. Exemption. This section does not apply to pregnant women. For purposes of this
subdivision, a woman is considered pregnant for 60 days postpartum.
    Subd. 6. Waiver of maintenance of effort requirement. Unless a federal waiver of the
maintenance of effort requirements of section 2105(d) of title XXI of the Balanced Budget Act
of 1997, Public Law 105-33, Statutes at Large, volume 111, page 251, is granted by the federal
Department of Health and Human Services by September 30, 1998, this section does not apply
to children. The commissioner shall publish a notice in the State Register upon receipt of a
federal waiver.
    Subd. 7. Exception for certain adults. Single adults and households with no children
formerly enrolled in general assistance medical care and enrolled in MinnesotaCare according
to section 256D.03, subdivision 3, are exempt from the requirements of this section until
six-month renewal.
History: 1997 c 225 art 1 s 17; 1998 c 407 art 5 s 40; 1Sp2001 c 9 art 2 s 67; 2002 c 379 art
1 s 113; 1Sp2003 c 14 art 12 s 86; 1Sp2005 c 4 art 8 s 77; 2006 c 282 art 16 s 14