Michigan health officials announced on Tuesday that since the pandemic started in March, the state has seen some 120,000 additional Healthy Michigan enrollees.
Healthy Michigan provides healthcare to low-income residents.
The increase is due in part to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, preventing Medicaid recipients from having coverage terminated during the pandemic. The act offered states a boost in matching funds during the pandemic in exchange for some requirements around things like Medicaid.
In March, Michigan had around 682,000 Healthy Michigan recipients, six months later that number has jumped to over 800,000.
Bob Wheaton is with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. He said there are likely two reasons for the increase.
“People that may not have been eligible before who’ve had a loss of income that are now eligible and at the same time there might be people whose coverage would have been ending but we’re not removing their coverage at this point.”
The number is likely to hold until the federal government decides the pandemic has ended and allows states to terminate coverage to those no longer eligible.
Coverage will last through the end of the month once that federal determination is made.