Updates About Agency Policy Updates

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently announced a new initiative that asks local governments to create proposals identifying coordination opportunities with the department using opioid settlement dollars.

The state will receive more than $1.8 billion from national opioid settlements by 2040. Half will be distributed to the state, and the other half directly to local governments. The funds will support substance use disorder prevention, aim to reduce overdose risks, as well as expand access to treatment and support long-term recovery.

Local governments can begin submitting letters of intent to DHHS this month on a rolling basis. Proposals that are selected will advance to more detailed planning and contracting.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has increased the income threshold for the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program by more than $1,500.

A family of four can now qualify with an annual income of up to $61,050, compared to the previous threshold of $59,550 for a family of the same size. This change will offer the opportunity for more Michigan families who meet or fall below the threshold to quailfy for the program and access WIC services. As part of the program’s goal of improving health outcomes for children and mothers, the program also provides families with access to nutritious food and education on nutrition.

More information about the program can be found here.

In response to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcing that SNAP benefits would not be distributed for the month of November, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a lawsuit with 24 other states arguing the USDA unlawfully suspended the funds. Recently, a federal judge ruled that the Trump administration must provide partial benefits to SNAP recipients while the federal government shutdown continues. Judge Indira Talwani from the U.S District Court for Massachusetts ruled that the USDA is required to use the appropriated contingency funds for the program.

The Trump administration has insisted that the use of contingency funds is not legally permitted to cover benefits. However, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins argued that because SNAP is not currently funded, the emergency SNAP benefits cannot be distributed. In 2019, the USDA used contingency funds in response to that year’s government shutdown. The pausing of the benefits was set to affect over 42 million Americans nationwide, including 1.4 million Michigan residents.

Following Judge Talwani’s ruling, President Trump instructed his lawyers to ask for clarification from the court on how they can legally fund SNAP. The USDA reported that its contingency fund could only cover approximately half of November’s benefits, leaving no funds available for future months. The USDA was also instructed by the court to notify them if tariff revenue dollars can be used to support SNAP benefits; USDA officials and U.S. Department of Justice lawyers declined the request.

The USDA notified the Michigan Department of Health and Humans Services that the partial SNAP benefits will begin to be distributed on Saturday, November 8th.