MDHHS commemorates 60th anniversary of Medicaid

Program has provided health care coverage to millions of Michigan families

LANSING, Mich. – For 60 years, millions of Michigan residents have been able to access medical care and lead healthier lives thanks to the creation of Medicaid. Signed into law 60 years ago by President Lyndon B. Johnson on July 30, 1965, the program provides health insurance to low-income seniors, children and people with disabilities.

“Medicaid has protected the health and well-being of tens of millions of Michigan residents and improved the state’s economic security,” said Elizabeth Hertel, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services director. “It is the backbone of our health care system and has been proven to improve health outcomes, reduce poverty, and support working families, children, older adults and people with disabilities.”

MDHHS is responsible for overseeing the Medicaid program in Michigan in partnership with the federal government, Today, more than 2.6 million Michigan residents are enrolled in Medicaid, including nearly one million children, 168,000 seniors and 300,000 people living with disabilities who receive the critical care they need to live independently.

Sixty years ago, President Johnson traveled to Independence, Missouri, the hometown of President Harry S. Truman, to sign this landmark legislation. Truman had championed the concept for two decades. Also present that day was Michigan Congressman John Dingell, Jr., who led on the legislation and whose father, John Dingell, Sr., had worked tirelessly to see that America’s elderly and most disadvantaged had access to better health care.

“I am proud of the role that my husband Congressman John Dingell played when it was passed,” said Congresswoman Debbie Dingell in a video message. “He was one of the leaders of the bill and he was key to expanding it when we passed the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIPS, and the Affordable Care Act. On this anniversary, I want to recommit myself to continuing the fight to protect and strengthen Medicaid for the millions of people who rely on it. To make sure if you are sick you have what you need to take care of yourself, the medicine you need, and for all of us to be the voice for some who do not have one.”

In his July 30, 1965, remarks, Johnson quoted Truman who 20 years prior had said, “Millions of our citizens do not have the full measure of opportunity to achieve and to enjoy good health. Millions do not now have protection or security against the economic effects of sickness. And the time has now arrived for action to help attain that opportunity and to help them get that protection.”

After noting that it took a long time to achieve Johnson said, “The benefits under the law are as varied and broad as the marvelous modern medicine itself.”

This anniversary comes at a challenging time when federal cuts and new requirements for Medicaid put the health coverage for hundreds of thousands of our state’s residents at risk.

“For 60 years, Medicaid has been a lifeline for millions of Michiganders, providing access to health care for children, seniors, people with disabilities and working families,” said Monique Stanton, president and CEO of the Michigan League for Public Policy. “As we mark this milestone, we should be building on Medicaid’s success, not gutting it. Recent federal cuts will turn back the clock on decades of progress, jeopardizing care for over 2.6 million Michiganders and threatening the stability of our health care system. Now more than ever, we must protect and strengthen Medicaid for the next generation.”

“Looking to the future, we are exploring ways to keep Michigan’s Medicaid program strong despite federal cuts,” said Meghan Groen, MDHHS chief deputy director for Health Services and Medicaid director. “We will work with the legislature, State Budget Office and Governor Whitmer on how we move forward in Michigan to help families get the heath care they need.”

For more information about Medicaid, visit Michigan.gov/Medicaid.

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Medicaid by the numbers in Michigan

The past:

•          Michigan Medicaid launched in 1966 and quickly enrolled about 600,000 residents.
•          Expanded to cover pregnant women and children in the 1980s.
•          Covered over 1.8 million Michigan residents by 2010.
•          Healthy Michigan Plan added about 700,000 adults starting in 2014.
•          Cut the uninsured rate among children to under 3% by 2020.

The present:

•          Reduces uncompensated care and sustains Michigan’s health care workforce.
•          Serves as a vital lifeline for rural and vulnerable communities.
•          Coverage for more than 2.6 million Michigan residents.
  •    1 million children.
  •    300,000 people with disabilities.
  •    168,000 seniors.
•          Coverage for 1 in 4 Michiganders.
•          Coverage for 3 in 5 nursing home residents.
•          Covers 40-45% of state’s births.