Assisted Living in Minnesota

• Age 65 or older, or blind or disabled. A disability can be certified by Social Security or by the state's Medical Review Team
• Minnesota resident
• Monthly income and assets under the limits below. The asset limit goes up by $200 for each added family member. Your home, one car, and some burial funds do not count
• If your income is over the limit, you may still qualify with a spenddown. That means you pay part of your medical bills each month, like a deductible, and MA pays the rest

Fill out the MHCP Application for Certain Populations and mail, fax, or bring it to your county or tribal office. You can also call your county or tribal office and apply over the phone. To have an application mailed to you, call DHS Health Care Consumer Support at 800-657-3672. Minnesota Aging Pathways, at 800-333-2433, can help you fill it out for free.

• Age 65 or older
• Need the level of care a nursing home gives, based on a free MnCHOICES assessment
• Qualify for Medical Assistance. Countable assets must be $3,000 or less
• Gross income up to $2,982 a month in 2026. At or under that amount, you keep $1,353 a month (July 2026 to June 2027) for your own living costs, such as rent and food, and pay any income above that toward your care. If your income is higher, you may still qualify, but more of it goes toward your care first
• Your care must cost less than nursing home care would
• If you are married and your spouse lives at home, your spouse can keep up to $162,660 in assets in 2026 and between $2,705 and $4,066.50 a month in income

Contact your county or tribal nation and ask for a MnCHOICES assessment. If you already have Medical Assistance through a health plan, ask your care coordinator. The assessment should happen within 20 calendar days of your request. It takes about two hours and is free. You also need to apply for Medical Assistance for long-term care, which may take 45 days or longer. Once approved, coverage may start back on the date of your assessment. Minnesota Aging Pathways, at 800-333-2433, can help you through the steps.

• Age 65 or older, or younger than 65 with a disability or other condition that limits your ability to support yourself
• Income and assets under the program's limits. You must meet rules from the SSI or General Assistance programs
• Live with a provider that is authorized to take Housing Support

Apply online at MNbenefits and check that you are requesting cash assistance. In the notes section, write that you are requesting Housing Support. You can also fill out the paper Combined Application Form and mail it to, or drop it off at, your county or tribal office.

• Age 65 or older
• Need the level of care a nursing home gives, based on a MnCHOICES assessment
• Your income and assets would not pay for more than 135 days in a nursing home
• The services you need cost less than 75 percent of what the Elderly Waiver would pay for someone with similar needs
• No other way to pay for the services

Contact your county or tribal nation to ask for a MnCHOICES assessment. Minnesota Aging Pathways, at 800-333-2433, can connect you with other local services.

• Age 65 or older, or younger with a qualifying disability or end-stage renal disease
• Part A has no monthly premium if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years

Apply online through Social Security, by phone, or at a local Social Security office. If you already get Social Security when you turn 65, you are usually signed up automatically.

• Enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B
• Live in the plan's service area

Compare plans in your ZIP code with Medicare's plan finder, then enroll online, by calling Medicare, or through the plan. Most people change plans during open enrollment, October 15 to December 7.

• Enrolled in Medicare Part A or Part B
• Not in a Medicare Advantage plan that already covers drugs

Use Medicare's plan finder to compare plans that cover the drugs you take, then enroll online, by phone, or through the plan.

• Enrolled in Medicare
• Income and assets under the limits below. The asset limit includes $1,500 per person set aside for burial

Apply online through Social Security or by phone. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) can help you apply for free.

• Minnesota resident enrolled in, or eligible for, Medicare
• Monthly income under the limits in the table below, in effect from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027. The limits already include the first $20 of income the state does not count
• Assets up to $10,000 for one person or $18,000 for a household of two or more. For QWD, up to $4,000 or $6,000. Your home and one car usually do not count

Fill out the MHCP Application for Certain Populations and send it to your county or tribal office. The county also checks whether you qualify for Medical Assistance. Coverage usually starts the month the county gets your application, and some people get Part B premiums paid back for up to three months. For free help applying, call Minnesota Aging Pathways at 800-333-2433.

Apply online, by phone, or at a local Social Security office.

• Age 65 or older, blind, or disabled
• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or qualifying non-citizen
• Countable income below the maximum payment, and assets under the limits below

Apply online, by phone, or at a local Social Security office.

• Age 18 or older
• Get SSI, or would get it except that your income is too high. If your income is too high for SSI, you must be 65 or older, blind, or disabled under SSI rules
• Assets up to $2,000 if you get SSI, or up to $10,000 if you do not

Apply online at MNbenefits, or fill out the paper Combined Application Form and mail it to, or drop it off at, your county or tribal office.