But for those who have recently gotten coverage after years without, the benefits are very clear.
For one Michigan resident, getting a Priority Health Healthy Michigan Plan meant that he could see a doctor for the first time in years.
Some individuals are celebrating their first anniversary of having health insurance coverage, thanks to the Healthy Michigan plan. In April, the health plan offered by the State of Michigan to provide health insurance coverage at a low cost turned one.
For one Michigan resident, getting a Priority Health Healthy Michigan Plan meant that he could see a doctor for the first time in years.
He was able to connect with a primary care physician, complete a comprehensive health assessment and commit to healthy behaviors. In addition, he found that he was also able to receive help getting to and from doctor’s appointments, thanks to the transportation benefits associated with his health plan. He now has free rides to his appointments, instead of having to walk up to four miles as he had to do in the past. For committing to his health and wellness with this new plan, he received a Healthy Michigan incentive, a $50 gift card, which he plans to use to purchase a new pair of shoes, his first in six years.
For another Priority Health member, receiving her Healthy Michigan coverage may have been the difference between life and death. During her comprehensive health assessment, the doctor found a cancerous lesion on her lung. She is now cancer-free after having surgery to remove a small portion of her lung and completing chemotherapy. If she wasn’t eligible for Healthy Michigan, she might not have been able to afford health insurance this year.
The goal of the Healthy Michigan Plan was to extend health care benefits at an affordable price, while also encouraging enrollees to become more engaged in their health. Be it quitting smoking, reducing their risk for diabetes or just encouraging increased physical activity and healthy nutrition – the plan helps enrollees stay healthy. It does this partially by incentivizing enrollees to meet with the doctor shortly after enrolling to ensure that they are getting the care they need.
Within the first year, the program has extended health care to more than half a million Michigan residents.
Nearly 80 percent of the people enrolled in the first 100 days of the Healthy Michigan launch had not been enrolled in other state health programs. That’s hundreds of thousands of people who now have health insurance, are under the care of a doctor and are on their way to a healthier life.
To learn more about the Healthy Michigan plan and see if you’re eligible to apply, visit http://www.michigan.gov/healthymiplan.
