Michigan – Eliminating the prior five-year waiting requirement for eligibility, Michigan has significantly changed policies to incorporate green card holders and other legally residing immigrants into Medicaid access. Officially starting this year, this amendment now lets pregnant women and immigrants under the age of 21 get healthcare coverage.
The Michigan Legislature set aside $6.4 million from the general fund for this expansion, therefore bringing Michigan in line with many other states that have already waived the five-year waiting requirement. This period could be waived under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009; but, Michigan just decided to apply this clause recently.
Supervising attorney Elinor Jordan of the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center underlined how significant this shift is for the community.
“There might be people who have maybe previously thought they weren’t eligible for benefits, it might be a good time to go and see if they’re able to sign up, and their local offices should be able to get them signed up if they’re lawfully residing,” Jordan said, WKAR reported.
Covering not only green card holders but also immigrant survivors of abuse or extreme cruelty and their family members as well as those with temporary protected status, the policy answers the needs of lawfully living children and pregnant women within the state. Public policy analysts estimate that this increased coverage would help about 10,000 people around Michigan.
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In a 2021 analysis, policy analyst Simon Marshall-Shah of the Michigan League for Public Policy backed the increase. While harmonizing the state law with those of most other states, Marshall-Shah claimed that this policy change would move Michigan closer to covering all children and offering affordable, quality care to thousands more children in the state.
For qualified recipients, the extension also notably provides postpartum coverage for up to a year. Legally residing pregnant women were only eligible for Medicaid coverage for emergency services, which included limited prenatal and postnatal care prior to this expansion. Now, the coverage is far more all-inclusive.
Jordan also pointed out the broader impacts of this change, particularly in reducing medical debt among immigrants who are lawful residents.
“We often work with clients, who are lawful residents and are contributing so much but have this crushing medical debt,” she said. “It can really take away from their productivity and their ability to full engage in their communities.”
Those living in Michigan who think they could now be eligible for Medicaid can apply straight through the state’s health department website, where forms and further information are easily found. Given the important contributions immigrants make to the state’s communities, this action by Michigan is considered as a key first step towards inclusive healthcare supporting a varied population.