A few days ago, my cousin called me and said she was randomly kicked off her Medicaid, which meant her two young children lost their insurance. Knowing that I work in health policy, my sister told our cousin I could help answer her questions. I explained to my cousin what happened and how she could re-enroll. 

The stress she experienced is something thousands of Michiganders on Medicaid have experienced in the last 12 months due to the end of an emergency COVID-19 policy.  

More than 500K Michiganders have lost Medicaid since the end of automatic enrollment 

During the COVID-19 public health emergency, Michigan was allowed to have continuous coverage for everyone enrolled in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), meaning people did not have to recertify their eligibility each year. Once this requirement ended, everyone enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP had to verify eligibility, a process called “unwinding.“

In May 2023, The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) began contacting people to determine whether they are still eligible for coverage. If someone did not respond in time, they were removed from coverage. Likely, my cousin lost her insurance due to not responding to the renewal notice. 

Unfortunately, most people who have lost their Medicaid or CHIP health insurance coverage during the unwinding do not have a family member they can call for help. And with the daily grind of raising kids, working, or taking care of loved ones, they will struggle to complete the re-enrollment process.

Over 778,000 people in Michigan have lost their Medicaid or CHIP coverage since May 2023, many of whom are likely still eligible.

At the Michigan League for Public Policy, we are advocating for the state to continue the enhanced protections set in place during the pandemic. For example, continuous Medicaid coverage for children under age 5 and 12 months of continuous eligibility for adults would promote stable coverage. The COVID-19 emergency proved that these options work and should be explored for permanent implementation. 

A new report from Georgetown University Center for Children and Families (CCF) looked at trends in child Medicaid and CHIP enrollment since the unwinding began. CCF’s report showed that nationwide, more than 4 million kids had lost Medicaid/CHIP by the end of 2023 — even though most of these children are likely still eligible.

In Michigan, over 114,000 fewer children were enrolled in Medicaid/CHIP at the end of 2023 than in June, the month before Michigan began conducting renewals. This number will only increase as Michigan finishes processing renewals. Most of the kids who are losing coverage are likely still eligible. 

We’re concerned that many children who have lost their Medicaid/CHIP health coverage do not have access to health care. During focus groups, Michigan parents have reported learning their child lost their insurance coverage after trying to get prescriptions filled. Without insurance, parents were unable to afford the medication their children needed. Other parents attended doctor appointments with their children, only to be turned away for lack of insurance. 

These stories show that even short gaps in coverage cause children to miss vital prescriptions or not be able to see a doctor when they are sick. And this data indicates that many Michigan children are likely going without the protection that health coverage provides.

We know MDHHS shares the common goal of ensuring that children in our state have the health coverage they need to thrive. The unwinding has presented enormous challenges for the department. And as families reapply and re-enroll, we must focus every available resource on making sure Michigan kids do not go without health coverage. 

We look forward to working with MDHHS and other partners to make sure no eligible child goes without Medicaid/CHIP, and that Michigan has the resources necessary to connect eligible children with the coverage they need.