Millions of people in Michigan and the U.S. could lose their Medicaid insurance after the 2026 midterm election.
That's because the recently passed federal budget slashes funding for Medicaid starting then — and it also imposes work requirements.
A Boston University and Penn State University study presented to Congress said the changes would likely increase opioid overdose deaths. That's because so many people get medications to treat addiction through Medicaid.
But there is some good news, according to addiction expert Dr. Cara Poland. She's vice president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine and teaches at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine.
Poland said the budget bill exempts opioid use disorder patients from the work requirements. But it could be complicated for states to develop ways to track and cover them.
"These exemptions — we just don't know how they're going to be implemented," Poland said. "They should be implemented generously and broadly to prevent eligible individuals from falling through the cracks and losing coverage."
Poland said the opioid crisis is getting better, especially in Michigan, due to a state-wide consortium of hospitals, insurance companies, state and local agencies, and nonprofit groups all tackling the problem jointly.
But she said it's still a huge problem. In 2023, state data shows 2,931 Michiganders died of a drug overdose. Early estimates for 2024 show a roughly 30% reduction of opioid drug overdose deaths.
Poland said if there's one message to get across to people struggling with addiction, and their families and friends, it's that there is hope, and there is help.
"Addiction is a preventable disease. And it has FDA-approved, evidence-based treatments that can save lives."
