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Michigan Medicaid Benefits

Medicaid assistance is available through state and federal cost-shared programs for low-income and limited-assets families and individuals. The federal government allows individual states, like Michigan, to establish their own eligibility criteria for Medicaid assistance. The individual state actually administers the program and determines the scope of services, the amount, the type and the duration.

  1. Health Care Plans

    • In order to receive Medicaid benefits in Michigan, families and individuals must join a health care plan, according to Michigan Department of Community Health. There are many different programs available to families, children and adults. Depending on the applicant’s citizenship status and the program itself, coverage may vary. Eligibility for the health care plans administered by the Michigan Department of Community Health are determined by the Michigan Department of Human Services and include income and asset tests.

    Qualifications

    • The Michigan Medicaid program was established in 1966 and has expanded services coverage over the ensuing years, according to the Michigan in Brief website. The Michigan Medicaid program provides medical assistance for two groups or categories of the population: categorically needy and medically needy. Categorically needy includes low-income elderly and disabled persons, certain low-income Medicare beneficiaries and infants, children and pregnant women in lower-income families. Transitional Medicaid is a limited assistance (12 months) provided to individuals who become employed or move into a better position that increases income to a level of ineligibility for Medicaid. As a state option, Michigan also provides Medicare to the medically needy who are individuals with higher incomes, but who have substantial medical costs. These persons must “spend down” their income in order to meet the Medicaid criteria.

    Services

    • Michigan Medicaid covers such services as inpatient and outpatient hospital care, X-ray and lab services, nursing home care, home health services, physician’s services (including dental medical and surgical), family planning services and supplies, rural health care clinics and federally qualified health center services, necessary medical transportation and services provided by a certified pediatric nurse, nurse midwife and a certified family nurse practitioner. Early and Periodic Screening Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) for youth under the age of 21 are also included in Michigan Medicaid coverage.

    Optional Services

    • There are approximately 33 optional services states can elect to cover, according to Michigan In Brief. Michigan has elected to cover 24 of these, which include prescribed drugs, dental services and dentures, podiatry, optometry and chiropractic services, clinic services, hospice care, physical, occupational and speech therapy and eyeglasses, hearing aids and prosthetic devices. Michigan Medicaid also includes inpatient psychiatric services for people 21 to 65 years of age and intermediate care facility services for the developmentally disabled.

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