2013: Employment and Medical Assistance for Employed People with Disabilities (MA-EPD)
According to the U.S. Census Bureau Statistics from 2013, Minnesota ranks 5th in the nation for people with disabilities engaged in employment, with 46% of the state's working age people with disabilities currently employed.
Although Minnesota has seen great progress in this area, improvement is still needed, as the unemployment rate among people with disabilities (10.3%) is more than double that of the rate for people without disabilities (4.6%).
Many people with disabilities fear that if they return to work and start earning more money, they will lose their Medical Assistance (MA) coverage. Medical Assistance for Employed Persons with Disabilities (MA-EPD) can assist people to work who want to work. MA-EPD pays for the same services that standard MA covers, including visits to the doctor, hospital stays, medical equipment, home care services, and mental health services.
From July through December 2013, a total of 9,196 people were enrolled in the MA-EPD program; 38.4% were enrolled in a Home and Community-Based (HCBS) waiver; and 17.7% of participants had a developmental disability.
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For more information, or to see if you might quality for MA-EPD services, see the Disability Benefits 101 website.
Additional information for people with developmental disabilities can be found at The Minnesota Organization for Habilitation and Rehabilitation. Their mission is to advocate and support members in providing meaningful services to persons with disabilities and communities served.