Medicaid Expansion Draws 300,000+

According to Department of Community Health officials, the Healthy Michigan Plan—the state’s expanded Medicaid Program—now has a total of 301,645 enrollees as of Wednesday this week. The program’s enrollment numbers have been released every Monday since the program began just 11 weeks ago, with Monday’s numbers being reported at more than 297,000 as officials noted the 300,000 enrollee milestone would be reached in a matter of days.  With the milestone’s achievement, Governor Snyder said in a statement that the results shows the state is “moving in the right direction for the health of our residents and our state,” while Community Health Director James Haveman observed the number is a testament to the hard work of department officials and community partners with state officials “greatly encouraged by the strong demand we’ve seen” since the program began.  Enrollment projections going into the expanded program forecast a first-year enrollment of some 320,000 with the program eventually providing assistance to some 477,000 state residents. However, if the current pace of enrollment is maintained, the first-year enrollment projections could be surpassed before the end of July.  The expanded program allows individuals with an income of up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level to obtain health care coverage.  The expansion was initially a requirement of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for all the states, a mandate that the U.S. Supreme Court ruled was unconstitutional.  When the program expansion became optional, the issue became one of the most intense political conflicts facing the Michigan Legislature in 2013.