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Michigan Health Insurance

The Affordable Care Act has given Michigan residents new ways to look for medical plans. The state has decided to partner with the federal government to provide a health insurance marketplace, which means residents can apply for coverage at HealthCare.gov.

Michigan provides consumer assistance through the state’s Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program, known as HICAP. Furthermore, Michigan is among 27 states including Washington, D.C., that will expand Medicaid coverage in 2014.

Meanwhile, Michigan residents can register for an account during open enrollment and determine if they qualify for Medicaid, CHIP or tax credits (subsidies) to reduce premium costs. State residents who qualify for subsidies will see their premium adjusted on the list of qualified plans. The site also directs eligible residents to the right place to enroll in Medicaid or CHIP.

Do you qualify for a subsidy?

The three ways to get public help paying for health insurance in Michigan are subsidies for marketplace plans, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

A January 2014 state profile by the Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that 71 percent of previously uninsured and non-elderly state residents will qualify for some type of help paying for medical insurance.

These are some ways residents of Michigan can get help paying for health insurance.

Typically, eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP is determined using 2014 poverty level guidelines, and eligibility for subsidies is determined using 2013 guidelines. People with access to other sources of affordable Michigan health insurance, such as employee benefits and other public programs, may not qualify for subsidies.
People with income between 100 and 400 percent of the poverty level may qualify for a subsidy. This would be between $23,550 and $94,200 for a family of four and $11,490 and $45,960 for an individual.
Non-elderly adults whose families make less than 138 percent of the poverty level — or $32,915 for a family of four — may qualify for Medicaid.
Michigan children from families who make less than 217 percent of the poverty level — about $51,750 for a family of four — may qualify for coverage by CHIP.

People who make too much money to qualify for financial assistance or have access to other sources of affordable health insurance might still enroll in marketplace plans. Insurers cannot exclude applicants based on pre-existing medical conditions, and they must provide certain basic benefits.

Michigan health insurance companies

The following is a list of insurance companies providing plans on the marketplace.

Alliance Health and Life Insurance Co.
Blue Care Network of Michigan
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan
Consumers Mutual Insurance of Michigan
Health Alliance Plan
Humana Medical Plan of Michigan, Inc.
McLaren Health Plan

Michigan health and coverage statistics

Michigan population (2013): 9,895,622
Population 65 and older (2012): 14.6 percent
Life expectancy (2010): 78.2 years
Number of Medicaid beneficiaries (2012): 1,675,700
Number of Medicare beneficiaries (2012): 1,479,500
Estimated number of uninsured residents (2012): 1,134,400

Overall state health ranking (2014): 34

Sources: Kaiser Family Foundation, U.S. Census Bureau, America’s Health Rankings 2014 report.