Medicaid work requirements start Jan. 1 for about 625,000 Healthy Michigan Plan members; a new state tool shows who must report

LANSING, Mich. — Starting Friday, Jan. 1, some adults on Michigan’s expanded Medicaid program will have to show they work, study or volunteer to keep their coverage, and the state launched an online tool Thursday to help them figure out where they stand.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said its new Michigan Work and Exemptions Screening Tool, or MI WEST, walks Healthy Michigan Plan members through a series of questions to see whether they may qualify for an exemption, already meet the requirement, or need to take more steps. The department stressed that it is an informational resource, not an application or renewal.

The requirements come from H.R. 1, the federal budget and tax law Congress passed in 2025, and apply to Healthy Michigan Plan members ages 19 to 64. Of the roughly 2.5 million Michigan residents on Medicaid, about 625,000 are enrolled in the Healthy Michigan Plan, according to MDHHS.

How to meet the requirement. Members who are not exempt can qualify in either of two ways, according to the state’s Healthy Michigan Plan page:

Earn at least $580 in one month during the review period, from a job or self-employment.

Or complete at least 80 hours in one month of approved activities: paid or unpaid work, an internship or work program, volunteering or community service, a high school or GED program, or college or vocational school. Activities can be combined to reach 80 hours.

Who is exempt. The state lists exemptions for people who are pregnant or gave birth in the past 12 months, parents or caregivers of a child 13 or younger, caregivers of a person with a disability, disabled veterans, people in substance use treatment, former foster youth under 26, American Indians and Alaska Natives, people who were in jail or prison in the past three months, people who are medically frail, and people already meeting SNAP or cash-assistance work rules, among others.

When it reaches you. New applicants who are subject to the rule must meet it in the month before they apply or the month they apply, beginning Jan. 1. Current members will first be reviewed at renewals on or after Monday, March 1, and those with January or February 2027 renewals will not be reviewed for work requirements until their 2028 renewals, MDHHS said. Most members will also move from yearly to six-month renewals.

“We are committed to helping beneficiaries understand and comply with these new rules so we can keep as many eligible Michiganders covered as possible,” acting MDHHS Director Amy Epkey said.

The department said it will use data it already has to confirm exemptions or compliance where it can, and will send notices when it needs more information. The tool was built by Civilla, a nonprofit civic design firm,, with funding from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

What this means for you. Supporters of work requirements argue that a program paid for by taxpayers should expect able-bodied adults without young children to work or prepare for work, and the state says many members are likely already meeting the requirement through work, school or other approved activities. The practical risk is paperwork: a member who works but misses a notice could lose coverage. If you are on the Healthy Michigan Plan, make sure your address and phone are current in MI Bridges, open every letter from MDHHS, run the MI WEST screener, and keep pay stubs or volunteer hour logs. Questions go to the beneficiary help line at 1-800-642-3195.

Sources:
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, “MDHHS launches tool to help Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries navigate new federal work requirements for Medicaid,” Oct. 22, 2026 (MI WEST, enrollment, timing, Epkey quote, Civilla), https://www.einpresswire.com/article/951608636/mdhhs-launches-tool-to-help-healthy-michigan-plan-beneficiaries-navigate-new-federal-work-requirements-for-medicaid
State of Michigan, “New Healthy Michigan Plan Work Requirements” ($580 or 80 hours, approved activities, exemptions, help line), https://www.michigan.gov/healthymiplan/new-medicaid-work-requirements
MDHHS, Michigan Work and Exemption Screening Tool (MI WEST), https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/medicaid/medicaid-changes/medicaid-work-requirements-interactive-navigator-guide
MDHHS, “Upcoming Federal Medicaid Changes” (six-month renewals), https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/assistance-programs/medicaid/medicaid-changes
Photo: w_lemay, “Michigan State Capitol, Capitol Avenue, Lansing, MI - 54383520410.jpg,” Sept. 8, 2024, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/), cropped and color-adjusted, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Michigan_State_Capitol,_Capitol_Avenue,_Lansing,_MI_-_54383520410.jpg

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Tags: Lansing · Medicaid · Healthy Michigan Plan · Work Requirements · MDHHS · Health Care