Michigan Impact How the Health Care Law is Making a Difference

Providing new coverage options for young adults

(under 26 on parents coverage)

• As of December 2011, 94,000 young adults in Michigan gained insurance coverage as a result of the health care law. 

Making prescription drugs affordable for seniors
(Medicare donut hole rebates)

• This discount has resulted in an average savings of $757 per person, and a total savings of $17,628,271 in Michigan. 

Covering preventive services with no deductible or co-pay

• Over 3 million people in Michigan gained preventive service coverage with no cost-sharing through both Medicare and private health insurance. 

Providing better value for your premium dollar through the 80/20 Rule (MLR rebates)

• 113,995 Michigan residents with private insurance coverage will benefit from $13,908,262 in rebates from insurance companies this summer. These rebates will average $214 for the 65,000 families in Michigan covered by a policy.

Removing lifetime limits on health benefits

• Already, 3,547,000 residents, including 1,315,000 women and 977,000 children, are free from worrying about lifetime limits on coverage. The law also restricts the use of annual limits and bans them completely in 2014.

Creating new coverage options for individuals with pre-existing conditions 

• As of April 2012, 1,263 previously uninsured residents of Michigan who were locked out of the coverage system because of a pre-existing condition are now insured through a new Pre-Existing Condition Insurance .

Preventing illness and promoting health

• Michigan has received $22.8 million in grants from the Prevention and Public Health Fund created by the Affordable Care Act. 

Increasing support for community health centers

• Health centers in Michigan have received $69.5 million to create new health center sites in medically underserved areas and to expand on existing sites. 

Scrutinizing unreasonable premium increases

• In every State and for the first time under Federal law, insurance companies are required to publicly justify their actions if they want to raise rates by 10 percent or more. Michigan has received $5 million under the new law to help fight unreasonable premium increases.

Strengthening partnerships with Michigan

Examples of Affordable Care Act grants to Michigan not outlined above include:

• $530,000 to support the National Health Service Corps, by assisting Michigan in repaying educational loans of health care professionals in return for their practice in health professional shortage areas.

• $1.4 million for the Personal and Home Care Aide State Training Program, which will help train key health care aides and strengthen the direct care worker workforce.

• $1.8 million for the expansion of the Physician Assistant Training Program, a five-year initiative to increase the number of physician assistants in the primary care workforce.

• $4.4 million for school-based health centers, to help clinics expand and provide more health care services such as screenings to students.

• $620,000 to support outreach to eligible Medicare beneficiaries about their benefits.

• $500,000 to support Aging and Disability Resource Centers (ADRCs).  ADRCs help seniors, people with disabilities, and their families understand and evaluate their long-term care options, including those available in their community.

• $7.7 million for Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Programs. These programs bring health professionals to meet with at-risk families in their homes and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn - such as health care, early education, parenting skills, child abuse prevention, and nutrition.

• $1 million from the Pregnancy Assistance Fund to provide pregnant and parenting teens and women with a seamless network of supportive services to help them complete high school or postsecondary degrees and gain access to health care, child care, family housing, and other critical support.

Source: http://www.healthcare.gov/law/resources/mi.html

Note: Last updated: June 25, 2012