Michigan is about halfway through the nation's special reenrollment process for people with Medicaid insurance.
State officials said Wednesday that the renewal numbers look good so far. They think Michigan is on track to have as many people with Medicaid insurance by June as before the pandemic.
During much of the pandemic, people with Medicaid insurance didn't have to show annual eligibility. Now, once again, they do.
Meghan Groen is the state's Medicaid director. She said because it's been so long since people had to prove their eligibility, the state is giving people 120 extra days to submit paperwork after getting a case closure letter.
"We anticipated that people might need a little more time — might get that closure letter, and think, 'oh goodness, I need to get that paperwork in,'" she said. "So there will be no missed medical bills, no coverage lost at that time."
About 1.1 million people have renewed their Medicaid coverage since the reenrollment process began last spring; state officials think by June, it's possible that about 2.4 million people could have Medicaid insurance — roughly the same number as before the pandemic.
Other strategies the state has used to facilitate Medicaid renewals include automatically renewing Medicaid eligibility for people receiving benefits under the federal SNAP or TANF programs, without conducting separate income determinations.
Federal rules will allow states to continue many of these special renewal policies through December 31, 2024. Officials with MDHHS said the agency is working to continue as many of them as feasible.
