Confused about Medicaid’s new rules and you? Michigan’s new tool can help

For more than a year, states have worked to set up processes that will comply with new federal requirements for Medicaid
Nearly 650,000 Michiganders who now get health coverage through expanded Medicaid are affected by those rules
A new, simplified tool uses plain language to cut through the jargon

Michiganders now have an online tool to help them navigate sweeping new Medicaid rules that, if not followed, could cost them their coverage.

The screening tool replaces bureaucratic lingo with plain language. It asks users a series of questions to help determine whether someone will meet the new 80-hours-a-month work requirements, qualifies for an exemption or may need to take additional steps to keep health benefits.

For some, answering one simple question on the Michigan Work and Exemptions Screening Tool (MI WEST) will help determine whether they will likely have to comply with the new rules.

For example, a user who responds to the first question that he or she is under 19 or over 65 years old gets this message: “Work requirements likely do not apply to this person.”

screenshot of an online screening tool — A new online tool uses plain language to help Medicaid beneficiaries better understand their requirements under new Medicaid work rules. It’s only a practice run, though. (Screenshot)

Likewise, a user who is pregnant sees this, in part: “This person likely qualifies for an exemption and may not need to meet the work requirement…”

Related:

Sept. 25, 2026: Who will be exempt from Medicaid work rules in Michigan? What to know
July 9, 2026: With six months to go, will Michigan be ready for massive Medicaid overhaul?
June 4, 2026: Michigan Medicaid rolls drop 5%, prompting fears of surge in uninsured

For others, though, a series of questions leads to this message: “You will need to report that you are meeting work requirements or that you are exempt…”

That answer is followed by a series of next-step instructions, which include what documents the user might need to submit to the state.

There’s one big caveat for the new tool: It serves as information only and does not count as an official application or renewal.

Nearly 650,000 Michiganders currently are covered by the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s version of expanded Medicaid.

Under H.R. 1 — also known as the “Big, Beautiful Bill” — they will lose coverage if they fail to prove they are working or engaged in certain community activities or qualify for an exemption. For some beneficiaries, the state will use other documents, such as unemployment paperwork, to automatically reenroll them.

But patient advocates worry that some Michiganders will be caught unaware, subsequently losing coverage when they fail to file the proper paperwork.

A woman in a medical setting — Patients have already begun calling with questions about upcoming Medicaid work rules, said Medicaid navigator Kaitlyn Reed at Hillsdale Hospital, which has begun outreach to patients to inform them of upcoming changes in Medicaid. (Brayan Gutierrez for Bridge Michigan)

And patients who have heard about the upcoming rules worry that chronic conditions could spiral out of control if they lose coverage, even temporarily, said Kaitlyn Reed, a Medicaid navigator at Hillsdale Hospital.

“A lot of people are worried that they won’t have the paperwork that they’re going to need to recertify in time,” she told Bridge Michigan.

The southeast Michigan hospital held a public webinar early this month to explain upcoming changes and encourage patients to contact Reed and the hospital’s other Medicaid navigators.

Hospitals stand to lose millions of dollars each year under the federal changes. Some hospitals, like Hillsdale, have begun early outreach to ensure patients understand the new rules, which will include renewing their coverage twice a year, rather than once a year.

drawings on a very long sheet of white paper — A visual representation of the process for applying for government benefits stretches more than 100 feet in a converted warehouse in Detroit. A design group, Civilla, is helping the state simplify processes in anticipation of Medicaid work rules that start in January. (Robin Erb/Bridge Michigan)

In northern Michigan, Munson Health has begun calling every patient on Medicaid with upcoming visits, making sure they understand what they’ll need to do next year to maintain coverage. It also launched a webpage this month and a hotline to help patients keep coverage. The hotline took 50 calls in the first 24 hours, a Munson spokeswoman told Bridge.

The state’s new online tool, unveiled this month, was developed by Detroit-based Civilla, a design firm focused on simplifying government processes.

State costs for the tool, as well as webinars designed to distribute information to nonprofits, are covered by a $385,000 grant by the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, a philanthropy focused on health.

(Editor’s note: The Michigan Health Endowment Fund is a funder of Bridge Michigan. It was not involved in the reporting or editing of this story.)

Medicaid changes: What to know

To stay up to date, Michiganders with Medicaid coverage should:

Make sure their information is current in their MI Bridges account.  
Be alert for notices from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and respond promptly to requests for information.
Visit Michigan.gov/HMP for updates and additional information.

Work requirements begin Jan. 1, 2027, but beneficiaries must meet the requirements at different times.

Current beneficiaries must meet work requirements at their renewal date starting on or after March 1, 2027. Those whose renewals are usually in January or February will not be reviewed for work requirements until 2028.
New Healthy Michigan Plan applicants must meet requirements, unless they’re exempt from them, in the month before or the month they apply, beginning Jan. 1.

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