795,000 Michiganders have been removed from Medicaid since redetermination
OXFORD, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Forty-three dollars. That's how much Wayne Short and his wife Sharon Short of Oxford say they're over the qualification limit to access Medicaid.
The Shorts are two of thousands of Michiganders who lost access to Medicaid when the redetermination process began again last year.
"What is a person to do?" Wayne Short asked. "The Medicare plan that we were on, the Medicare Advantage Plan, had a food allowance, but it wasn't just for food; it was for paying bills, copays, doctor's visits, transportation. We lost all of that when we lost our Medicaid."
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people enrolled in Medicaid weren't required to do the yearly re-application process. People like Shorts were covered, but that continuous enrollment ended in March 2023.
"I found out the exact amount. We're a total of $43 over the limit. I don't think that's right; I think the limit should be higher for married couples," he said.
The Shorts say they lost access to badly needed physical therapy for Sharon, who can't walk.
Meghan Groen with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees Medicaid in Michigan, says eligibility comes down to income.
"[The number of people using the program] does fluctuate," she said. "In terms of the redeterminations, we do have over one and a half million Michiganders who have completed that renewal; those people have already renewed their coverage, so they are good for the next year. That puts us on track for pre-pandemic enrollment of about 2.2 million Michiganders."
Groen says 795,000 residents have lost coverage through the redetermination process. The Shorts noted if they were to be divorced, they could qualify again as individuals.
"Why should we have to ruin our marriage just to get Medicaid? We love each other too much; she's my soulmate; she is my right arm. I would be lost without her," Wayne Short said.
