No. Medical Assistance, through the Elderly Waiver, pays only for the care-services portion delivered inside a licensed assisted living facility, never the room-and-board charge. Minnesota does not have a broad state subsidy that covers private-pay room and board, though very-low-income residents in certain licensed settings may qualify for a separate, narrower Housing Support benefit to help offset it.
The detail behind the program
This is one of the most consequential facts a Twin Cities family can misunderstand when planning finances, because it means Medicaid approval doesn't make an assisted living apartment 'free' the way it can effectively make a nursing home stay affordable. A resident approved for the Elderly Waiver in a Brooklyn Park or Richfield community would still need to pay the facility's room-and-board rate from Social Security, a pension, savings, or the narrower Housing Support benefit if they qualify. Families budgeting for assisted living should ask a facility to break out its 'service fee' from its 'room and board' fee specifically, since only the former is what Medicaid waiver dollars can ever reach.
Related questions
- What is the Elderly Waiver and what does it cover?
- What is Alternative Care and how is it different from the Elderly Waiver?
- How do I apply for Medical Assistance long-term care or a waiver in the Twin Cities?
- What are Minnesota's income and asset limits for nursing home Medical Assistance in 2026?
- How much can a healthy spouse keep if their partner needs Medicaid-covered nursing home care in Minnesota?
- What is Minnesota's Medical Assistance Estate Recovery Program, and can the state take my parent's house?
- What is Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO) and who qualifies?