MA-EPD Minnesota: Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities

The biggest financial trap for working adults with disabilities in Minnesota is the standard Medical Assistance asset limit. Disability-based MA caps individual assets at $3,000. Earn and save more than that — even temporarily — and you risk losing healthcare coverage, waiver services, and the entire support structure that makes working possible in the first place.

MA-EPD eliminates that trap entirely. Since January 1, 2024, the program has no asset limit at all. A working adult with a disability can earn unlimited income, accumulate unlimited savings, and keep full Medicaid and HCBS waiver coverage. It is the most powerful work incentive in Minnesota's disability benefits system, and it is dramatically underused.

How MA-EPD Works

Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities is a Medicaid buy-in program. You pay a sliding-scale premium based on your income, and in return you receive the same full Medical Assistance coverage as standard disability-based MA — including access to CADI and DD waiver services.

The key requirements:

• You must have a disability as determined by the SSA, the Minnesota State Medical Review Team (SMRT), or the Railroad Retirement Board
• You must have earned income of at least $65.01 per month, with taxes withheld (self-employment counts if you pay self-employment tax)
• You must be a Minnesota resident

That is it. No upper income limit. No asset limit (the legislature eliminated it entirely effective January 1, 2024). The only financial component is the premium, which scales with income.

The Premium Structure

MA-EPD premiums are calculated on a sliding scale based on countable income. At lower income levels, the premium is lower. As income increases, premiums increase but remain far below what private health insurance would cost.

The premium is calculated by the county when you enroll. You receive a monthly invoice and must pay it to maintain coverage. If you miss payments, coverage can be terminated — so set up autopay or calendar reminders.

Even at higher income levels, the premium is a fraction of the coverage value. MA-EPD includes doctor visits, prescriptions, mental health services, dental, vision, and — critically — home and community-based waiver services. Try buying that package on the open market for what MA-EPD charges.

Why MA-EPD Matters at the Age-18 Transition

For young adults leaving school and entering employment, MA-EPD removes the financial ceiling that standard MA imposes. Without it, the sequence goes like this: the person gets a job, starts saving, crosses the $3,000 asset limit, loses MA, loses waiver services, cannot afford the supports they need to keep working, and quits. The program was designed to break that cycle.

Transition-age youth with mild to moderate disabilities who can work part-time or full-time should apply for MA-EPD as soon as they have earned income. It is not a replacement for standard MA — it is a parallel pathway that preserves the same coverage while allowing wealth accumulation.

MA-EPD also interacts favorably with other programs:

• SSI work incentives. The Student Earned Income Exclusion (up to $2,410 per month, $9,730 annually in 2026) and the $65 earned income exclusion reduce countable income for SSI purposes. MA-EPD runs on a separate track, so both protections can operate simultaneously.
• ABLE accounts. Earned income saved in an ABLE account is excluded from SSI's $2,000 resource limit (up to $100,000), and MA-EPD eliminates the MA asset limit entirely. Combined, the person can work, save, and maintain full benefits coverage.
• Vocational Rehabilitation Services (VRS). VRS can fund job coaching, assistive technology, and workplace modifications while MA-EPD ensures the healthcare coverage stays intact regardless of what the person earns.

How to Apply

Apply for MA-EPD through your county human services agency using Form DHS-3427 (Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities Application). You will need:

• Proof of employment and earnings (pay stubs, W-2, or self-employment records)
• Documentation of disability (SSI award letter, SMRT determination, or medical records)
• Proof of Minnesota residency

The county processes the application and determines the premium amount. If you are already on standard disability-based MA, ask the county whether it can transfer your case to MA-EPD without a gap in coverage; do not assume a transfer is automatic.

One of Several Pieces

MA-EPD is one component of the adult benefits architecture that young Minnesotans with disabilities build at 18. The Minnesota SSI at 18 & Adult Disability Benefits Guide covers the full employment-and-benefits coordination strategy, including how MA-EPD interacts with SSI work incentives, ABLE accounts, and waiver services.

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