How to get Medicaid or low-cost care in Michigan

The Healthy Michigan Plan is Michigan's Medicaid for adults

Medicaid is a program that covers health care costs for people with low incomes. In Michigan, the Department of Health and Human Services, often shortened to MDHHS, runs it. The version for working-age adults is called the Healthy Michigan Plan, or HMP.

This plan exists because Michigan's expansion began on April 1, 2014. To qualify, you must be 19 to 64 and live in Michigan. You cannot be on Medicare or pregnant when you apply, and you cannot qualify for another Medicaid group. Your income must be at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The poverty level is a yearly dollar amount the government uses to measure poverty. Because of how income is counted, HealthCare.gov says the limit works out to 138 percent.

Covered care includes doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, lab tests, mental health care and emergency care. Members may owe small co-payments, which are fees due at the pharmacy or doctor's office. The other Medicaid groups are explained in our guide on who qualifies for Medicaid.

How to apply in Michigan

MI Bridges is the state's online account for benefits. On that site you can apply, send in papers and tell the state about changes in your life. The Michigan Health Care Helpline at 1-855-789-5610 takes applications by phone, and your local MDHHS county office takes them in person.

Members who need help with existing coverage can call the Medicaid beneficiary help line at 1-800-642-3195. This number is meant for callers inside Michigan. To check whether you have the Healthy Michigan Plan, look in your MI Bridges account or ask your health plan.

Inside MI Bridges, you pick how the state contacts you, such as by mail, text or email. Choose a method you check often, because letters about renewals and new rules are sent that way. A missed letter can cost you coverage. What to gather first is listed in our guide on how to apply for Medicaid.

Work rule and renewals for Healthy Michigan Plan members

Federal law passed in 2025 adds new rules to the Healthy Michigan Plan. Some adults who apply for the plan or already have it will need to work or do other approved activities starting January 1, 2027. The rule applies to adults ages 19 to 64 on the plan.

To meet it, you can earn at least $580 in one month. Doing 80 hours of approved activities in one month works too, and you can mix activities to reach 80 hours. Approved activities include a paid or unpaid job, an internship, volunteering, school or a work program. The $580 is not an income limit for Medicaid.

Many people are exempt, and the full list is on the state's website. Pregnant people and people who had a baby in the past 12 months are exempt. So are people who care for a child 13 or younger, using the federal wording. People with a disability or a serious health condition are exempt too. So are people already following SNAP or cash assistance work rules.

New applicants must meet the rule in the month before they apply or in the month they apply. Current members are checked at renewal when their renewal date is March 1, 2027 or later. They need to show it for only one month since the last renewal, and the state tries to check its own records first.

On January 1, 2027, Healthy Michigan Plan renewals also move from once a year to every six months. That means more letters asking you to confirm your income or household size. To see how the federal rule works, read our guide on Medicaid work rules.

A change to old medical bills

Right now, Michigan Medicaid can sometimes pay for care you got before you applied. From January 1, 2027, that window gets shorter. Healthy Michigan Plan members may get coverage for up to one month before applying, and other Medicaid groups may get up to two months.

Hospital stays before you apply might not be covered under the new window. Applying as soon as possible will matter more, according to the state. If you cannot pay a bill, our guide on hospital financial assistance explains how to ask for a discount.

If your income is too high for Medicaid

People who earn more can look at private plans on HealthCare.gov, which is the website the state's health department points to for coverage help. HealthCare.gov shows open enrollment for 2027 coverage as November 1 to January 15. A tax credit lowers your monthly plan cost, but for 2026 and 2027 people who earn more than four times the poverty level cannot get one. After a job loss, a special sign-up window may apply.

Free and low-cost care in Michigan

The state's Help Finding Health Care page links to clinics for people with low incomes or no insurance. It also links to local community mental health agencies and to dental help. That page also lists Free Clinics of Michigan, the Michigan Primary Care Association and United Way 2-1-1.

A community health center is a clinic that gets federal money and charges by income. Searching the free Find a Health Center tool from the Health Resources and Services Administration takes just a zip code. Ask each center about its sliding fee, which is a price scale based on what you earn. Prices are easier to compare with help from our guide to sliding-scale clinics.

Checking a Michigan doctor

LARA, the state's licensing agency, has a tool to find and verify licensed professionals. Type in a doctor's name to check the license before you book.

Flat-fee doctors and emergencies in Michigan

Some Michigan doctors work as direct primary care practices. Patients pay a flat monthly fee, and the doctor does not bill insurance for visits. Our directory lists cash-pay doctors, and it is smart to ask what the fee covers.

If you have chest pain, trouble breathing or signs of a stroke, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. A hospital with an emergency room must examine you under federal law, whether or not you have coverage.