31-01-2025
Proposed changes to MI's Medicaid to increase coverage
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services proposes a policy change that more than quadruples the current asset limits for Medicaid qualifications.
The limit for individuals is expected to increase from $2,000 to nearly $9,500. For couples in the same household, those limits would increase from $3,000 to $14,000.
These are numbers that have remained unchanged since the inception of the program in 1974. The increase could make Medicaid coverage accessible to a much larger pool of elderly Michigan residents while preventing those in need from making difficult choices like spending down their assets or refusing long-term care.
And it's not just individuals who are impacted by this change.
One of the institutions this will impact is the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, otherwise known as PACE. They are a Medicaid and Medicare funded program that allows seniors to access nursing home-level care in the comfort of their own homes.
Sarah Milanowski, the enrollment marketing manager for PACE LifeCircles, says she is hopeful about what this could mean for those needing long-term care.
'We hope that in February, someone could have a bit of a nest egg and access care. Particularly with our program, preventative care to help them stay stable in the home they love so they can avoid things like the nursing home,' she said.
Milanowski says the system in place now was created when a nursing home was the only option for seniors needing care. 'I think the change is tied to the state of Michigan saying the taxpayers and the people deserve to have resources at home.'
Resources at home and for the long haul.
'Most people aren't aware, until they're in crisis, that Medicare doesn't cover long-term care needs. The support for people to get their meals made, to help them with bathing, or dressing is very expensive,' Milanowski explains.
The change is expected to happen on Feb. 1, but the implementation of the policy still depends on the approval of a state plan amendment by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
