Medicaid Expansion Matters to Michigan Children

Governor Rick Snyder made a huge step in a healthier direction for the state when he proposed to expand Medicaid access to Michigan residents by taking advantage of the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Under the ACA, states can choose to expand Medicaid to uninsured individuals living at 133% of the federal poverty level (FPL) or below, $31,322 for a family of four.  This expansion would not cover additional children under the age of 19 since they are already covered by Medicaid or MIChild up to 200% FPL.  However, it would have a significant positive impact on the well-being of Michigan children from cradle to career.

One major group of young people who will benefit from the Medicaid expansion is young adults – young people between the ages of 19 and 24 would make-up one-quarter of the individuals covered by the expansion.  There are many young adults who work beyond the traditional four years toward completing their high school diplomas – 18% of low-income students in Michigan utilize a 5th or 6th year of high school to graduate, and are unlikely to have access to workplace health insurance during this time.  Expanding Medicaid will allow young adults to continue to work towards their high school credential while having access to affordable health care and can continue to have access to health care as they transition into the workforce, expanding those options.

Additionally, many young adults in the 19 to 24 age range are also parents of young children.  Medicaid expansion would improve more young parents’ health and subsequently their ability to keep consistent employment and provide for their children.  Currently, the Michigan Medicaid program covers parents below 50% FPL, leaving many low-income parents without access to care.  Yet studies show that insured children with insured parents are more likely to receive check-ups and other health care than insured children with uninsured parents.  And for those young adults without children, having access to health insurance means access to family planning services to plan for their futures and behavioral health services to assist them in their success.  This includes planning for future pregnancies and ensuring that they are healthy before becoming pregnant so that they can have healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.  In a nutshell, expanding access to health insurance for parents and young adults leads to better health outcomes for Michigan families.

So what’s the status of Medicaid expansion in Michigan?  Neither the House nor Senate has included this expansion in their budget proposals for fiscal year 2015.  However, the Senate Appropriations Committee is continuing to discuss the possibility of including Medicaid expansion in their version of the Department of Community Health budget bill before they pass it out of committee.  Now is the time to reach out to the Senate Appropriations Committee members about the importance of Medicaid expansion for you, your children, your family, and your community.

Learn more about Medicaid expansion and what it means for Michigan children in our Budget Basics fact sheet.

-Mina Hong

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