The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced it has renewed Medicaid or Healthy Michigan plan coverage for 168,088 Michiganders whose eligibility was up for redetermination in October.

As CMF reported, in compliance with federal legislation, Medicaid beneficiaries had to renew their coverage. In June, Michigan resumed Medicaid eligibility redeterminations to comply with the federal legislation. The emergency Medicaid coverage protection that was extended during the COVID-19 pandemic expired earlier this year.

Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries must renew their coverage over the next year to comply with federal legislation that requires states to resume the redetermination of Medicaid eligibility. In Michigan, annual renewals are being staggered to take place monthly through May 2024.

Earlier this year, at the first-ever in-person Foundations in Lansing (FIL) series of events, CMF members connected with our policymakers in the Michigan Legislature to discuss solutions and share more on philanthropy’s work. CMF members in the health-focused FIL event highlighted the challenges for their communities in renewing their Medicaid coverage.

According to the latest state data on Medicaid renewals:

• 804,613 people have been renewed to date.
• The department is awaiting completed enrollment forms from another 85,795 people who were up for renewal in October and have until the end of November to return their paperwork. 
• 13,618 people were disenrolled in October because they were no longer eligible.
• 2,806 Michigander’s eligibility was not renewed for procedural reasons.

Additional MDHHS efforts to help Michiganders keep their coverage are possible because of the federal government releasing new flexibilities and strategies, including:

• Extending the renewal date to May 2024 for beneficiaries undergoing life-saving treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy infusions or dialysis.
• Allowing managed care plans to assist enrollees they serve in completing and submitting Medicaid renewal forms.
• Sharing lists with managed care organizations of their enrollees who are due for renewal or have not responded to provide additional outreach to those beneficiaries.
• Reinstating eligibility back to the termination date for people who were disenrolled based on a procedural reason – such as not returning re-enrollment forms on time – and are subsequently found to be eligible for Medicaid during a 90-day reconsideration period. 
• Providing beneficiaries with an extra month to submit paperwork to help avoid loss of health care coverage.

“MDHHS is working to preserve health benefits for all qualifying residents and will continue to use every option available to achieve that outcome,” Elizabeth Hertel, director of MDHHS said. “We want to be sure that as many Michiganders as possible can continue to receive Medicaid coverage and appreciate the partnership of The Salvation Army and others in this effort.”

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