Traverse County » Economic Assistance Programs

The Minnesota Family Investment Program, or MFIP, is the state’s welfare reform
program for low-income families with children. MFIP helps
families move to work and focuses on helping
families. It includes both cash and food assistance. When most families first
apply for cash assistance, they will participate in the Diversionary Work
Program or DWP. This is a four month program that helps
parents go immediately to work rather than receive welfare.

Some families may be referred to MFIP when they first apply for assistance or
after they finish four months of DWP. MFIP helps
families transition to economic stability. Parents are expected to work, and
are supported in working. Most families can get cash assistance for only 60
months.

The refugee resettlement program coordinates services to assist refugees in
making the transition to life in the United States. The RCA program
provides cash assistance to refugees who are ineligible for Supplemental
Security Income (SSI) or MFIP for up to 8 months after arrival in the United States.
Only refugee’s as defined by the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) are eligible.

The General Assistance (GA) program provides cash assistance for single,
unemployed adults wih out children,
including people who are elderly, ill, injured or otherwise incapacitated.

Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA) is a state-funded supplement for people who
receive SSI.

Group Residential Housing (GRH) pays room and board for a group living
situation which as a fixed rate contract with a county. This includes foster
care settings for adults. It does not include shelters or medical care
facilities.

Medical
Programs

General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC):

GAMC provides medical care for a monthly
average of 33,000 (FY 2007) low-income Minnesotans who don’t qualify for MA
or other state and federal programs – primarily low-income adults, ages 21
and 64, who do not have any dependent children.

Some GAMC applicants and clients are enrolled in Transitional Minnesota Care instead of GAMC.

Medical Assistance (MA):

MA is the largest of the health care
programs, providing health care coverage and prescription medication coverage
for a monthly average of 507,000 low-income senior citizens, children and
families, and people with disabilities in fiscal year (FY) 2007.

The federal Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services administers Medicaid nationwide. In Minnesota, the Department of Human
Services oversees the program, and eligibility is administered by the
counties.

Children, parents and pregnant women make
up the largest MA group; elderly or people who have a disability make up the remaining .

Emergency Medical Assistance
(EMA)

Non-citizen applicants or enrollees who
are not eligible for federally funded Medical Assistance (MA) or, in some
cases, state-funded MA (program NW), may be eligible for Emergency Medical
Assistance (program EH) if they have a medical emergency.

Minnesota Care:

Minnesota Care is a publicly subsidized program for Minnesota residents who don’t have access
to affordable health care coverage.

Residents (except for some children) are
not eligible if their employer offers health insurance and pays at least half
of the monthly cost.

Minnesota Care is funded by a tax on hospitals
hand health care providers, federal Medicaid
matching funds and enrollee premiums.

Minnesota Care has been critical to Minnesota’s welfare
reform strategy, helping people
leave welfare and go to work without losing health care coverage.

Enrollee premiums are determined
according to a sliding-fee scale based on family size and income.

The Food Support (Food Stamps) program is a county-run, federal program
administered through the U.S. Department of Agriculture that helps Minnesotans
with low incomes get the food that’s needed for sound nutrition and
well-balanced meals. The program issues electronic food support benefits that
can be used to purchase allowable food items from participating grocers.

The Minnesota Food Assistance Program (MFAP) was created by the Minnesota
Legislature in response to federal law changes, which made certain non-citizens
ineligible for federally funded Food Support. MFAP uses state funds to replace
the benefits lost when federal Food Support eligibility ends. MFAP is only
available to non-citizens 50 years of age or older. Apply for MFAP as you would
for Food Support at your county offices.

EA provides emergency help for Minnesota families with
dependent children under age 21. The emergency must threaten the health and
safety of a child, such as eviction or utility shutoff. You can receive EA only
once in 12 months.

EMSA provides emergency assistance to aged, blind, or disabled persons who
receive MSA and face an emergency situation that threatens the person’s health
and/or safety, such as eviction or utility shutoff. You can receive EMSA only
once in 12 months.

EGA provides help to people without
children who face an emergency situation that threatens the person’s health
and/or safety, such as eviction or utility shutoff. You can receive EGA only
once in 12 months.

EAP is a program available to low-income people to help pay fuel bills. It pays
for wood, gas, fuel oil, or electric heat. It may also help in crisis
situations, such as heat.

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Economic Assistance Programs