Updates About Public Health

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.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel recently joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and two governors in filing a lawsuit that challenges the Trump administration’s implementation of the new Medicaid work requirements under H.R.1 (also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act or OBBBA).

The lawsuit targets an interim final rule issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). The coalition argues the new interpretation of the rule would unlawfully narrow expectations for individuals who are considered “medically frail.” The coalition also claims that the interpretation, on top of new administrative burdens, will make it difficult for eligible Medicaid recipients to qualify for exemptions and would cause many to lose coverage.

They also allege that the rule fails to adequately consider the impact on states and the healthcare sector while imposing new compliance requirements after states had already begun implementing H.R. 1. The coalition is seeking to block enforcement of the challenged provisions before the work requirements take effect on January 1, 2027.