2.6 million Michiganders count on Medicaid. Over the next decade, the federal government will slash up to $1 trillion dollars from the program impacting states.
“Provider tax shifts, shifting more costs to states, work requirements, and some of the other administrative burdens that we see in this bill. We'll cut hundreds of millions and potentially billions of dollars from the Michigan Medicaid program and the people that we serve. The state cannot absorb these losses and we will have to make significant cuts in other critical areas.”
Elizabeth Hertel is director Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The state estimates it will lose $1.1 billion annually from the federal government leading to 700,000 Medicaid beneficiaries losing coverage.
“Someone who is uninsured doesn't stop getting sick doesn't stop needing lifesaving care and doesn't stop needing medications to control chronic conditions. What they do do is wait until they are sicker to receive more expensive care when they end up in an emergency department. When they can't afford to pay the bill, our provider partners still need to cover those costs and they pass them on to everyone else, which makes checkups, procedures, and insurance more expensive for the rest of us, even for people with private or employer-sponsored coverage.”
Hertel says MDHHS will work with the legislature, budget office and the governor seeking solutions.