By Robin Erb: For More Info, Go Here…
Thousands of Michigan residents enrolled in Healthy Michigan are now expected to work 80 hours a month — or tell the state why they can’t — to continue receiving health insurance under Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program.
Who’s affected?
The work rules apply only to a portion of Michigan’s 662,000 people who secured health insurance under Healthy Michigan. These are the roughly 238,000 people ages 19 to 62 who the state concludes are able-bodied adults receiving benefits through the state’s expanded Medicaid program made possible by the 2010 Affordable Care Act.
The majority of Healthy Michigan recipients are unaffected by the work rules, many because they are already known to be exempt from the rules because of a disability or pregnancy, for example. Healthy Michigan beneficiaries already listed as exempt received letters on their exemption.
Beneficiaries who the state believes are subject to work rules received a different letter with information about working and reporting requirements.
An estimated 1.6 million beneficiaries in Michigan’s traditional Medicaid program — many of whom are seniors, blind or permanently disabled persons, living in foster care or pregnant — are not subject to the work rules.
Beneficiaries who believe they are exempt but didn’t receive an exemption letter may file a two-page paperwork application for an exemption by Jan. 31. After that, the exemption application must be filed at www.michigan.gov/MIBridges or by calling 833-895-4355, which will be staffed beginning Jan. 27.
