Working together to create a Healthy Michigan in 2014

By Rick Murdock

As we celebrate a new year, I’m happy to report that we’re starting things off on a positive note – the Healthy Michigan plan has officially been given the OK by the federal government. This means that beginning in April around 322,000 low-income residents will have access to Michigan’s high-performing Medicaid program.

Under the Healthy Michigan plan, adults whose income is less than 133 percent of the federal poverty level (about $15,500 for a single adult or $30,000 for a family of four) may now enroll in Medicaid as long as they are not receiving health care coverage from other sources. This is high quality care – in a recent edition of Consumer Reports, Michigan had 11 of the nation’s top 100 Medicaid plans, six of which were in the top 25.

This is not only great news for low-income families – it’s great news for everybody. That’s because when someone without insurance receives medical care, they typically go to high-priced emergency rooms – and those costs are passed on to those who do have insurance. The Healthy Michigan plan will provide high quality care for Michigan’s working poor while protecting the pocketbooks of all residents. We are looking forward to its implementation.

Of course, Medicaid expansion is just one leg of health care reform – there will be many issues to face in the coming months, and we pledge to keep you up to date as we work to secure quality, affordable, accessible health care for the citizens of Michigan.