Updates About Health Insurance

Beginning January 1st, 2024, MDHHS will be implementing changes to the Healthy Michigan Plan (HMP) that affect cost-sharing and healthy behaviors for beneficiaries.

Enrolled individuals will not face care disruptions or benefit reductions due to these updates. Alterations to the plan include revised copayment obligations for beneficiaries aged 21 and older, where copayments may now be required at the point of service instead of through the MI Health Account. Exceptions for copayments related to chronic conditions and exemptions for medically frail individuals will be discontinued.

While encouraging healthy behaviors remains a focus, requirements for annual Health Risk Assessments and specific activities via the MI Health Account will no longer be mandatory or incentivized. MDHHS plans to collaborate with Medicaid Health Plans to introduce financial incentives for enrollees displaying improved health outcomes, adopting healthy behaviors, or completing screenings or procedures that contribute to better health.

After a 15-year battle to lower the cost of orally administered chemotherapy medication, House Bill 4071 was signed into law by the Governor on October 24, 2023. The bill addresses disparities between the level of health insurance coverage for various types of chemotherapy and establishes a cap on related co-pays. Michiganders can now expect coverage for oral chemotherapy that mirrors that of other chemotherapy treatments.

Thanks to the persistence of Representative Samantha Steckloff (D-Farmington Hills) and the numerous advocacy groups supporting this cause, Michigan patients can focus on choosing the cancer treatment that fits their lifestyle instead of settling for the one that fits their budget.

See: Governor Signs Oral Chemotherapy Legislation into Law!

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has issued additional notice and guidance for Medicaid renewals that are set to begin on July 1.

Following new guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), beneficiaries who received their renewal packets with a deadline of June 30 are encouraged to complete and return the packets by that date. However, MDHHS will not disqualify anyone from coverage for not returning paperwork until the end of July. This change is only for beneficiaries up for renewal in June.