The simple answer is YES. Because your child with Down syndrome has a disability, they are eligible for certain county services in Minnesota. County services include programs such as PCA, grants and waivers. These programs provide funding for supports and services related to your child’s disability. How your child receives services and which services they receive depends on your family’s household size and income and the needs of your child. Here’s an overview of how it works:
Accessing County Services
Step 1: Apply for Medical Assistance, either MA or MA-TEFRA
Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s Medicaid program for families with low income. Most county services require that your child is on MA for eligibility. Because of this, often the first step to accessing services is to apply for MA. Apply for MA using the application for healthcare “WITH financial help" in the MNsure system. This can be done in two ways:
Apply online through MNsure
Fill out and return MNsure Application for Health Coverage and Help Paying Costs
The application includes disability-related questions about your child:
Has your child been determined disabled by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or the State Medical Review Team (SMRT)?
Does your child have a disability determination or a condition you believe is disabling, and need additional services or supports?
If your child is approved for MA because your family meets income guidelines, you will move on to step 2 noted below for accessing county services. If your child is denied MA due to your family’s total income, the county will use information from the disability-related questions to look at eligibility for MA-TEFRA.
The TEFRA option is for children with disabilities in families with incomes too high to qualify for MA. Under MA-TEFRA, only the child’s income is counted for eligibility. In the past, many families paid a parental fee (like a monthly premium) to access MA-TEFRA for their child with a disability. Beginning July 1, 2023, the elimination of the MA-TEFRA parental fee went into effect.
To access MA-TEFRA, your child must be certified disabled. If needed, the county will put in a referral to State Medical Review Team (SMRT) for a disability review. This is often referred to as the SMRT process. You will receive, fill out and return paperwork to SMRT and they will review your child’s disability. After SMRT is completed and approved, you’ll receive a disability certificate for your child and approval for MA-TEFRA will follow.
If your family goes the TEFRA route to access MA for your child, it is good to follow up with the county after submitting the MNsure application to ask questions about TEFRA and to learn next steps.
Step 2: Request & Complete a MnCHOICES Assessment
The next step to accessing county services for your child with Down syndrome is to set up a MnCHOICES Assessment through your county. Typically this is a two hour assessment/interview, which results in telling you what county services your child is eligible for. During the assessment you will discuss your child’s goals, interests, strengths and needs. This is the time to be very clear about the support your child needs and the support that you provide them on a daily basis. Think of your child’s needs on their most challenging days and share these experiences with your assessor. It may feel uncomfortable to do so, but this honest reflection helps the county to understand your child’s needs and ultimately helps to determine the support your child receives.
Once the MnCHOICES Assessment is completed, the county will let you know what services your child is eligible for. At this point, you will decide what services best meet your child’s needs and you’ll continue working with the county to get these services set up.
We know, this is a lot of information and it may feel overwhelming. Here at DSAMn we get it and we are here for you. Our Family Connectors are trained in accessing county services and can guide your family along the way. Reach out to our team and we’ll help you get started!
Reference: https://edocs.dhs.state.mn.us/lfserver/Public/DHS-7960-ENG
Family Connectors are Here to Help!
Call: 651-603-0720 option 2
Email: connect@dsamn.org
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