DEARBORN – On Monday, Sept. 16, Gov. Rick Snyder signed the Healthy Michigan plan into law. The law is expected to expand Medicaid to nearly a half million Michigan residents. 

Snyder signed the landmark bill, HB 4714, into law at Oakwood Hospital and Medical Center in Dearborn, surrounded by people whose lives have been affected by illness, as well as small business owners and health care professionals.    

In the first year, Healthy Michigan is anticipated to cover 320,000 Michiganders, eventually providing care for 470,000–most who are working, but earning about $15,000 a year.  

The plan emphasizes personal responsibility. Those covered by the plan will be required to share in the costs. There will also be incentives for them to take responsibility for their lifestyle choices and to maintain or improve their health.     

Previously, those without health insurance often waited until their medical conditions were severe and then sought treatment in an emergency room. Not only did they suffer with their illnesses, but that’s also the most expensive way for them to get medical care.  

Michigan’s hospitals bear more than $880 million in uncompensated costs every year.  These costs are passed along to individuals and businesses through higher health care premiums. Healthy Michigan will help alleviate hundreds of millions of those costs, annually.     

Snyder says the Healthy Michigan plan will make the recovering economy stronger and save money for taxpayers and job providers. 

Healthy Michigan helps people like Marcia Perkins; the Grand Rapids area breast cancer survivor was self-employed for more than 30 years, earning enough to pay her bills.  But she could not afford health insurance.  “We need this Medicaid program to help folks, like me, who work hard,” she told Gov. Snyder at a recent event. 

The new plan will help small job providers, like Cynthia Kay, add employees. As the owner of a small video production company, she provides health insurance to her eight employees, but premium increases have made it difficult for her to grow her business.  “I had to think twice about adding more people,” Kay said, adding that Healthy Michigan could help control costs and allow her and other small business owners to create more jobs.