Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program has already hit its 2014 sign-up goal in less than four months.
As The Michigan Public Radio Network’s Jake Neher reports, more than 320,000 people have enrolled since April.
Late last year, state lawmakers approved expanding Michigan’s Medicaid program using money from the federal health care law. To get there, Republicans added a number of conditions to the Medicaid expansion legislation. Those included requirements that people try to improve their health.
Angela Minicuci is with the Michigan Department of Community Health. She says a large majority of enrollees have already met with doctors to do that.
“And that’s huge to have such a large proportion of those people already taking charge and the next steps for getting healthier,” she says.
State health officials expect the Healthy Michigan program to eventually cover close to a ½ million working poor people.