Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) covers emergency care services for Minnesota residents who meet financial and other requirements for Medical Assistance (MA) but are not eligible for MA because of their immigration status.
EMA covers the health care and medical services needed to treat an emergency medical condition (including labor and delivery) as defined in federal law.
EMA covers the health care and medical services needed to treat emergency medical conditions that, if people don’t get medical care within 24 to 48 hours, will do the following:
EMA covers the following services without prior approval: Care and services provided in an emergency department and inpatient hospital if you are admitted after being in the emergency department.
Any services provided after emergency department treatment and inpatient admission need approval by the Minnesota Department of Human Services medical reviewer (the provider starts this process) and include the following:
Refer to the Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) section on the Summary of Coverage, Cost Sharing and Limits (DHS-3860) (PDF) for more information on coverage.
Services not covered by EMA include, but are not limited to, the following:
You must meet all MA eligibility requirements (such as income and asset limits and residency) except those related to immigration status.
The requirements depend on what “category” you meet for MA coverage. Examples of categories are children under 19 years of age, parents, and people age 65 or older.
You can apply for EMA online or with a paper application. You can get help through a navigator or your local county or tribal office.
