Work Requirements

On March 4, 2020, a federal judge ruled that approval of the HMP work requirements was unlawful.  It is MDHHS’ responsibility to follow the federal judge’s ruling. This ruling stopped MDHHS’ implementation and enforcement of the work rules.

This means HMP participants are no longer required to report work, school or other activities to maintain HMP health care coverage. This change is effective immediately.

MDHHS is notifying individuals of the change online, by mail, and by phone.  MDHHS will mail letters (B 20-04) to active HMP beneficiaries throughout the month of March 2020.  It is possible work requirements could be restarted because of a future court decision.  MDHHS will notify stakeholders if this happens. 

Health plans, providers, and other community partners who may be utilizing HMP work requirements-related materials that were previously issued by MDHHS should remove these documents from circulation.

• Beneficiaries with questions should contact the Beneficiary Help Line at 1-800-642-3195 (TTY: 1-866-501-5656).
• Providers and community partners with questions can email HealthyMichiganPlan@michigan.gov.

Click here for more information on work requirements.

Work Requirements

To keep Healthy Michigan Plan coverage, some HMP beneficiaries are required to:

   

One or more of the following work or activities:

Who has to do this?

Anyone who is 19-62 years old and enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Plan is required to report work or activities unless they are exempt (excused). Beneficiaries have been sent letters about the changes. 

B 19-36 (September 2019) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage as of September 1, 2019 and who do not currently meet an exemption based on MDHHS records. This includes beneficiaries in Fee-for-Service (FFS) and health plans.

B 19-37 (October 2019) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage as of September 1, 2019 and who meet an exemption based on MDHHS records. 

B 19-43 (October 2019 and January 2020) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage and  are exempt because they are age 62 or over. 

B 19-48 (December 2019) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage as of November 1, 2019 and who do not currently meet an exception based on MDHHS records. This includes beneficiaries in Fee-for-Service (FFS) and health plans.

B 19-49 (December 2019) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage as of November 1, 2019 and who are exempt because they were assigned to the Research Group Exemption. 

B 19-37, B 19-46 and B 19-47 (January 2020) - sent to beneficiaries who have Healthy Michigan Plan coverage as of November 2019 and who meet an exemption based on MDHHS records.

(letter numbers are in the lower left corner of the letter)

What is an Exemption?

An exemption excuses someone from having to tell MDHHS each month about work or activities to keep their HMP healthcare coverage. Someone may be exempt (excused) for up to one year and the exemption can be renewed. In some cases, MDHHS will already know someone is exempt (excused) and will apply the exemption automatically. 

Exemption Reasons

• pregnant or were pregnant in the last 2 months
• medically frail due to one or more of the following:
  • physical, mental, or emotional condition that limits a daily activity, like bathing
  • physical, intellectual, or developmental disability that makes it hard to do a daily living activity
  • physical, mental, or emotional condition that needs to be checked often
  • disability based on Social Security criteria (SSDI)
  • chronic substance use disorder (SUD)
  • serious and complex medical condition, or special medical needs
  • in a nursing home, hospice, or get home help services
  • homeless
  • a survivor of domestic violence
• the main caretaker for a family member under 6 (one parent per household)
• a full-time student
• under age 21 and were in Michigan foster care
• in prison or jail in the last 6 months
• getting State of Michigan unemployment benefits
• getting temporary or permanent disability payments from a private insurer or the government
• a medical condition that limits work, approved by a doctor
• caring for a dependent with a disability and has a doctor's order for full-time care (one claim per household)
• caring for a person who cannot make decisions for themselves
• good cause. The beneficiary or a family member:
  • has a serious illness, or
  • is hospitalized, or
  • has a disability that meets the government definition.

How to get an Exemption

If you think you should be exempt (excused) because you have a medical condition or are disabled, pregnant, or have another reason, you can tell MDHHS in one of three ways:

• Online - If you have a MI Bridges account, use the MI Bridges Portal by visiting www.michigan.gov/mibridges.
• By phone - Beneficiaries with questions should contact the Beneficiary Help Line at 1-800-642-3195 (TTY: 1-866-501-5656).
• In person - You can get help telling us about exemptions at your local MDHHS office.

How to Complete Monthly Reporting

Unless you are exempt, you must complete 80 hours of work or other activities, like job search, each month. Tell MDHHS about work or other activities in one of three ways: 

• Online - If you have a MI Bridges account, use the MI Bridges Portal located at www.michigan.gov/mibridges.
• By phone - Due to the March 4, 2020 court ruling, the monthly reporting requirement has stopped.
• In person - you can get help telling us about work activities at your local MDHHS office.

Finding Resources for Help Meeting these Requirements

Information about available resources can be found through MI Bridges. Many community resources that can help with finding a job, child care, transportation and more can be found in MI Bridges or by dialing 2-1-1 or visiting www.mi211.org.
 

How can someone get health care coverage if they lose Healthy Michigan Plan coverage because they did not meet the work requirements? 

If Healthy Michigan Plan coverage ends because an individual didn't meet the work requirements and they do not have an exemption (reason to be excused), they will need to serve a penalty month and meet requirements before they can get Healthy Michigan Plan coverage again.

Once someone meets requirements, they can reapply for Healthy Michigan Plan coverage at www.michigan.gov/mibridges or call 855-276-4627 (TTY: 866-501-5656). If they think they should be exempt (excused), they can report an exemption as part of the reapplication process.

To get health care coverage when an individual does not meet the work requirements: 

• If income or who lives in an individual’s household changes, or they become pregnant or disabled, they can reapply. They may be eligible for other health care coverage programs. Go to www.michigan.gov/mibridges or call 855-276-4627 (TTY: 866-501-5656).
   
• If no household circumstances have changed, an individual can apply for health care coverage through the Federally Facilitated Marketplace. They can go to www.healthcare.gov to see if they are eligible.
   
• For information on other free or low cost health care services, go to www.michigan.gov/mibridges and click on “Explore Resources”.