Minnesota to review Medical Assistance eligibility for refugees and other noncitizens later this month
Minnesota will review Medical Assistance eligibility cases for certain noncitizen adults in late August and early September, ahead of federal eligibility changes scheduled to take effect Oct. 1, 2026, the Minnesota Department of Human Services said.
The statewide review concerns adults whose Medical Assistance eligibility depends on specified immigration statuses. DHS says people found no longer eligible may receive notices that their coverage will end Sept. 30, one day before the federal changes take effect.
The action is a state-level consequence of changing federal rules for people who have arrived in the United States through refugee, asylum and humanitarian protection pathways. It is a health-coverage eligibility review, not an immigration enforcement or deportation action.
Who may be affected
DHS says the review generally applies to nonpregnant noncitizens age 21 or older whose eligibility is tied to the immigration categories identified in the federal changes. The agency’s guidance lists refugees, asylees, Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees, trafficking victims and battered noncitizens among the groups connected to the review.
That list does not mean every person in one of those categories will lose coverage. Individual eligibility depends on immigration status, age, pregnancy status and other program criteria, according to the state guidance.
The department did not provide an estimate of how many Minnesota residents could lose Medical Assistance as a result of the review. It also did not say that all refugees, asylees or humanitarian parolees will be found ineligible.
The groups identified by DHS include people whose presence in the United States can be linked to conflict, persecution or humanitarian emergencies abroad. Refugees and asylees are distinct immigration categories, while Afghan and Ukrainian humanitarian parolees are also specifically named in the state’s guidance. For purposes of the upcoming review, DHS is directing residents to assess their individual program status rather than treating those groups as a single eligibility category.
Protections and possible alternatives
Under the department’s guidance, children under age 21 who are lawfully present remain eligible. Pregnant people also remain eligible. Those protections distinguish the state’s treatment of children and pregnant residents from the adult cases being reviewed.
For adults who receive a notice that Medical Assistance will end, DHS says other coverage may be available. Some people may qualify for MinnesotaCare or another program if they are lawfully present and meet the applicable criteria.
Whether a person can move to MinnesotaCare or another option will depend on the details of that person’s situation. DHS has not said that an alternative program will be available to every person whose Medical Assistance eligibility changes.
The immediate practical step for residents is to watch for mail from the state during and after the review period. A notice of an eligibility change would be especially important because the possible Medical Assistance end date cited by DHS is Sept. 30, 2026.
Timeline and where residents can seek help
The review is scheduled for late August through early September. Federal eligibility changes are set to begin Oct. 1. The sequence means the state plans to complete its case review and send any applicable coverage-ending notices before the federal rules take effect.
DHS directs affected residents to contact their county or tribal eligibility worker for help understanding their case. The department also points refugees and immigrants to the Refugee and Immigrant Helpline.
The next known step is the state’s late-summer review of affected cases. Residents who receive notices will need to examine the decision and determine whether they meet the requirements for MinnesotaCare or another program. DHS guidance makes clear that eligibility will turn on the person’s status and other program conditions, rather than on a broad label such as refugee or humanitarian parolee alone.
For Minnesota communities serving people displaced by war, persecution and other humanitarian crises, the review places a near-term focus on continuity of health coverage. The available state guidance establishes the timing of the review and the categories it may reach, but it does not quantify the number of residents affected.
Sources
- Noncitizen Adults, Minnesota Department of Human Services