The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) gives states the option to provide Medicaid to certain uninsured people, to pay for COVID-19 testing and the related office visits during the peacetime emergency. 

The 2020 Minnesota legislature passed a law authorizing the new limited Medical Assistance (MA) coverage group for COVID-19 testing for uninsured Minnesotans. The new coverage group, MA Coverage for COVID-19 Testing, is available beginning May 1, 2020, and ends when the peacetime emergency ends. 

More information about the program, including eligibility criteria, can be found in /assets/ffcra-bulletin-04-2020_tcm34-430605.pdfBulletin #20-21-03. 

Information for navigators. The provider or clinic administering the COVID-19 test will provide the application to the individual, submit the application to DHS, administer the test, and submit the fee-for-service claim(s) to DHS.

DHS Health Care Consumer Support (HCCS) team will process all applications and will send manual approval and denial notices based on eligibility. Examples of the approval and denial notices will be posted in the “Document Library” on Assister Central. We anticipate these will be available late next week.

Any agency who receives an application should fax it to 651-431-7374 or mail it to PO Box 64252, St. Paul, MN, 55164-0252. Additionally, direct all phone calls about this program or the status of an application to HCCS at 651-431-3994 or 800-366-5414. 

Completing an application for MA or MinnesotaCare is not a requirement to qualify for MA Coverage for COVID-19 Testing. However, a person who needs help paying for COVID-19 testing may be eligible for more comprehensive health care coverage under MA or MinnesotaCare and should be encouraged to complete the appropriate Minnesota Health Care Programs application form.