medicaid

Sign-ups for expanded Medicaid program soar over 300,000

More than 300,000 low-income Michiganders have signed up for the state's expanded Medicaid program.

In just eleven weeks, the Healthy Michigan program has almost reached the sign-up goal for its entire first year. State officials say that bodes well for the success of the program.

State auditors say Michigan improperly spent $160 million over three years caring for Medicaid recipients needing in-home services. 

       LANSING - Michigan is launching its expanded Medicaid plan to provide health insurance for hundreds of thousands of low-income adults.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - Gov. Rick Snyder says April 1 is when hundreds of thousands of low-income adults can begin enrolling for health insurance under Michigan's expansion of Medicaid.  The Republican governor says he's comfortable with the launch date after his administration tested computer systems and developed a plan to get the word out to the public. Coverage will be retroactive to the first day of the month in which people apply.

State lawmakers look to patch Medicaid shortfall, say long-term solution criticalBy Jake Neher Michigan's Medicaid program faces a budget shortfall this year of more than $100 million dollars. That's because a new tax on health insurance claims is not producing as much revenue as state officials expected. This week, the state Senate passed a mid-year budget bill that would patch that hole in the Medicaid budget.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) - The Michigan Senate has voted to spend more for winter road maintenance and to adjust the budget to account for a delay in the expansion of Medicaid. The legislation includes $100 million to fix potholes and help governments with higher-than-usual salting and snow plowing bills. Expanding Medicaid to more low-income adults was supposed to occur in January before senators delayed  it until April.  

The Medicaid expansion bill signed into law by Gov. Snyder earlier this week will have a major impact on health care in Washtenaw County. 

Both it and the upcoming state health insurance marketplace will affect many of the people already receiving coverage through the Washtenaw Health Plan. Many people currently receiving health coverage through the Washtenaw Health Plan will lose that coverage and be required to get it instead through either the newly expanded Medicaid or the upcoming health insurance marketplace.

Krista Nordberg is the Director of Enrollment and Advocacy at Washtenaw Health Plan. She says there will likely be timing issues with these changes.
 

The Washtenaw Health Plan helps people get the health care services they need, like doctor and clinic visits, outpatient lab and X-ray tests, prescriptions, hospitalization and mental health services.

You can learn more at their website: www.ewashtenaw.org