Medicaid 101: Work Requirements Stopped – What You Need to Know

Medicaid 101: Work Requirements Stopped – What You Need to Know

Mar 12 2020

A federal judge recently stopped the Medicaid work requirements in Michigan.

Important: if you’re a member of the Healthy Michigan Plan, you don’t need to report your work to keep your health coverage. Work requirements were canceled by a federal judge on Mar. 4, 2020.

What are Medicaid work requirements?
Work requirements are rules related to the amount of work or other qualifying activities that Medicaid members must complete to keep their coverage. If the members don’t follow them, they are at risk to lose coverage.

The good news is that as of Mar. 4, 2020, Healthy Michigan Plan members do not have to follow work requirements to keep their health coverage.

What happened to work requirements?
Several other states have tried to create programs with similar work requirements. In some states, many Medicaid members have lost coverage. In others, a federal judge has blocked the requirements.

Michigan work requirements were stopped by U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, the same judge that blocked work requirements in New Hampshire, Kentucky and Arkansas.

Do I need to keep reporting work for other programs?
If you’ve been reporting work for other reasons, like food stamps or cash assistance, you need to keep following those program requirements.

Are there going to be other changes to the Healthy Michigan Plan?
Yes. In October 2020, some Healthy Michigan Plan members will have to make new premium payments on time and do a yearly Health Risk Assessment (HRA) to keep their health care coverage.

If you want to prepare for these changes, there are a couple things you can do:

  1. Get to know your costs. Read your HMP statements carefully and make any payments on time. Remember to let the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) know of any changes that could affect your payment amount, like family size or income.
  2. Engage in healthy habits. Schedule a check-up with your doctor every year and talk about healthy behavior choices that might work for you, like a flu shot or cancer screening. You should also complete a Health Risk Assessment.

Remember to read all the emails and letters you get from your health plan and from MDHHS. These might contain important information and updates about your health care.

N4001-11 Approved MH03112020