by Luke Sprinkel
Illegal immigrants in Minnesota will be able to use a state-run healthcare program starting in Jan. of 2025, a bulletin from the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) says.
Last year, Democrats in control of state government passed a law which expanded MinnesotaCare eligibility to illegal immigrants. A publicly-funded healthcare program that has existed since 1992, MinnesotaCare provides health insurance to low-income individuals.
“For applications processed on and after November 12, 2024, Minnesota residents will qualify for MinnesotaCare beginning January 1, 2025, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, if they meet all other MinnesotaCare eligibility factors,” says the DHS bulletin.
While state law was changed last year to specifically give illegal immigrants access to MinnesotaCare, next year will be the first time that illegal immigrants can actually use the program if their applications are approved.
“To qualify for MinnesotaCare on and after January 1, 2025, people who are undocumented individuals must attest that they are not lawfully present,” says DHS. “MinnesotaCare eligibility will be approved for an applicant who indicates they do not have a lawfully present status or circumstance, if they meet all other MinnesotaCare eligibility criteria. Proof that a person is undocumented is not required.”
The DHS memo on this topic was published earlier this month to specifically announce that MinnesotaCare eligibility has been expanded to illegal immigrants. The memo was issued to inform various county-level staff, tribal staff, and other DHS officials about the details of the eligibility change. Staff were also instructed to follow the policies prescribed in the bulletin.
To qualify for MinnesotaCare, applicants must be at or below certain income limits that are based on family size. Additionally, MinnesotaCare recipients must also meet several other criteria relating to healthcare coverage and other topics.
In addition to giving illegal immigrants access to MinnesotaCare, Democrats in the Minnesota Legislature and Gov. Tim Walz authorized legislation last year that gave illegal immigrants the ability to obtain drivers licenses in Minnesota.
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Luke Sprinkel previously worked as a Legislative Assistant at the Minnesota House of Representatives. He grew up as a Missionary Kid (MK) living in England, Thailand, Tanzania, and the Middle East. Luke graduated from Regent University in 2018.
