MOAHR Benefit Services Division (BSD) Forms
Disability Accommodation Form
How to Get a Hearing Recording Fact Sheet
Optional MDHHS Benefit Hearing Request Forms (any signed written request for hearing is acceptable, including the forms listed here; Food Assistance Program (FAP) hearing requests can be verbal)
MOAHR Certified Record Request Form
Medicaid Fair Hearings Rights & Responsibilities Brochure
Subpoena Request Form
BSD Hearings Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Why were my Medicaid services or public benefits reduced or canceled?
MOAHR conducts hearings for Michigan state departments and agencies, including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and its agents. However, MOAHR does not have access to your individual state benefit case information or your Medicaid or Medicaid-covered services case file. If you received a negative action notice or an adverse benefit determination notice from MDHHS or a state agency informing you that your application for benefits or Medicaid-covered services has been denied or that your existing benefits or Medicaid-covered services have been reduced, changed, or terminated, you may contact MDHHS or the agency that issued the notice directly to obtain an explanation of the reason for the agency’s action and instructions on how to request a hearing if you want to challenge that action.
Please use the links below to locate the correct agency, phone number, or website to contact for more information about your case.
MDHHS, Medicaid, and Unemployment Contact Information
State of Michigan Department and Agency Contact Information
Q. If I am late for my hearing concerning public benefits, will a judge still hear my case?
A. If you anticipate being late for your hearing, there is a 15-minute grace period at the start of the hearing. You have only 15 minutes into the start of your hearing to participate. Otherwise, your case will be dismissed.
Q. How do I request a hearing concerning public benefits or Medicaid-covered services and what can I expect at the hearing?
Click Information Regarding Public Assistance and select “How do I request a hearing?” for information on how to request a hearing. Select “What happens at a hearing?” to learn what to expect at the hearing.
For additional information regarding public assistance, refer to the Department of Health and Human Services website. If you are a public assistance recipient, there is a toll-free number available at 800-648-3397.
Q. How do I request a hearing related to my Michigan Rehabilitation Services or Adoption Subsidy Services?
If you want to request a hearing related to your Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS) or Adoption Subsidy Services (AS), submit your request to your MRS worker or your AS worker or local office.
Q. How do I reschedule or cancel my hearing?
A. For hearings involving public benefits and Medicaid-covered services, click here and review item 10 under “What happens after I request a hearing?”
For all other hearings held by BSD, if you need to reschedule or cancel your hearing, the request must be made in writing. The request can be sent to MOAHR by mail, email or fax. A request should be written on blank or lined paper. The request should include your docket number, your name, your request, and the reason for the request and must be signed. Please note that a request to reschedule or cancel must be made before the start of the scheduled hearing.
Mailing Address:
MOAHR - BSD
P.O Box 30639
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: 517-763-0155
Email: MOAHR-BSD-Support@michigan.gov
Q. I missed my hearing. Now what can I do?
A. The decision or order sent to you after the missed hearing will explain your options. Requesting a new hearing does not guarantee your request will be granted.
Q. I received a notice for a hearing I did not request. Why do I have a hearing?
A. Hearings may be requested by you, a person with authority to act on your behalf, or the agency that holds the case. For example, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services may request hearings regarding fraud of public benefits. MOAHR schedules and holds the hearings requested by parties and agencies. If you want further information about why the agency requested a hearing, contact the agency identified in the Notice of Hearing. Also, review any documents sent to you directly by the agency.
Q. How do I get documents from MOAHR emailed to me?
A. To streamline the administrative hearings process, MOAHR will, upon request, email correspondence to a party, the party’s attorney, or the party’s authorized hearing representative consistent with Mich Admin Code, R 792.10110(9)(b). If you want MOAHR to email correspondence to you, email your request to MOAHR at MOAHR-BSD-Support@michigan.gov from the email address you want MOAHR to use. MOAHR will reply to your email with a list of your responsibilities. Once you agree to these responsibilities, you will receive correspondence from MOAHR via both email and the US postal service.
Q. I want to have an in-person hearing with the ALJ. What do I do?
A. If you request an in-person hearing, your hearing will be held via videoconference. The Notice of Hearing will contain instructions about how to connect to the hearing. If you want to have a face-to-face hearing with the ALJ at the agency office or MOAHR’s offices, you must file a request explaining why you need such a hearing. The ALJ will review the request under MOAHR Administrative Hearing Standard 2024-1 and notify you whether there is good cause for the hearing to be held at an agency or MOAHR office. If you do not receive a response, connect to the hearing using the instructions in the Notice of Hearing.
Q. What do I do to prepare for the hearing?
A. Before the hearing, review the documents sent to you by the agency and prepare your response. Provide MOAHR and the agency with any documents you want to present at the hearing. Select “Administrative Hearing Rules” here if you want to review the rules that apply to hearings.
To participate in the hearing, follow the instructions in the Notice of Hearing sent to you by MOAHR. At the hearing, MOAHR’s administrative law judge (ALJ) will explain the process and allow the parties to present their cases. The ALJ is an impartial factfinder who considers the evidence presented by you and the agency. After the hearing, the ALJ will send the parties a written decision or, depending on the case type, a proposal for decision. If you do not agree with the ALJ’s decision, there are instructions on the decision (or proposal for decision) explaining your options. If the ALJ issued a proposal for decision, the agency will issue a final order.
For questions concerning hearings scheduled with the MOAHR Benefit Services Division that are not answered here, please call the MOAHR BSD main office at 517-335-7519. TTY users call 1-866-501-5656.
Q. How do I get a copy of the certified record?
A. The certified record is a copy of the entire record of the case proceedings. To get a copy of the certified record, you must send MOAHR a written request that includes the name of the case, the MOAHR docket number, a copy of the claim of appeal to the circuit court and circuit court docket number if available, and the circuit court mailing address. Use this form. MOAHR will certify and forward a certified copy of the hearing record to the circuit court within 14 days of receiving your written request and will send copies of the certified record to both parties. There is no charge for the certified record if the reason for the request is for an appeal to the circuit court and you are a party to the administrative hearing.
Please note that the certified record does not include the transcript from an administrative proceeding. If you want a transcript, you must follow the instructions that follow.
Q. How do I get a transcript or hearing recording?
A. The Michigan Court Rules require the appellant, the party filing the appeal to the circuit court, to obtain and file a transcript of the hearing recording. MCR 7.109(B). A MOAHR certified record will not include a transcript of the hearing recording.
MOAHR can provide you with a digital copy of the hearing recording. To obtain a digital copy of an administrative hearing recording, please click LARA | FOIA Request Center and then click on "Submit a FOIA Request." Further information on how to obtain the digital recording is available here.
Please note that after you obtain the recording, you must hire a certified transcription/court reporting service of your choice to produce a transcript from the hearing recording. A digital recording is not considered an official transcript. MOAHR does not produce or pay for transcripts. All questions regarding the processing, pricing, and certification of the transcript should be directed to the certified transcription/court reporting firm that you choose to use.
Q. How do I request a subpoena for a person or for documents to appear at my hearing?
A. There are two types of subpoenas used in a BSD administrative hearing: a subpoena to request a person who will provide witness or expert testimony and a subpoena for documents needed in the hearing.
The Department of Health and Human Services is required to make available any documents it used in the determination you are appealing. Contact DHHS directly for these documents.
You may request a subpoena if you have attempted to obtain the person's presence or documents you believe are relevant to your case and were not able to obtain after reasonable attempts. Send MOAHR the completed subpoena form. The ALJ will decide whether your subpoena request is approved.
Q. What if I need a disability accommodation to effectively participate in a hearing or the hearing process?
A. Requests for accommodation may be made verbally to MOAHR or in writing, including on MOAHR’s Disability Accommodation Request Form. Written requests for accommodation may be mailed, emailed, or faxed to the contact information for MOAHR as provided on your Notice of Hearing. Additionally, written requests for accommodation may also be sent to MOAHR as follows:
Mail:
MOAHR -Disability Accommodation Request
P.O. Box 30695
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: (517) 763-0148
Email: MOAHR-GA@michigan.gov
Verbal requests for accommodation can be made by calling the contact number provided on the Notice of Hearing or (517) 335-2484.
