Michigan’s Medicaid expansion improved the health and finances of Michiganders

Just over a decade ago, Michigan expanded its Medicaid health coverage program, opening it to all adults with very low incomes through the Healthy Michigan Plan. Now, a new U-M report shows long-term benefits of this expansion – not just for individuals, but also for primary care clinics and hospitals that serve all Michiganders. It also finds that some of the unique features of Michigan’s Medicaid expansion showed mixed results, such as cost-sharing in the form of copays and monthly premiums, and financial incentives for healthy behaviors. 

Related: IHPI Policy Brief: Lessons from 10 Years of
Medicaid Expansion in Michigan

Watch: Healthy Michigan Plan: Findings from a 10-Year Evaluation of Medicaid Expansion

IHPI POLICY BRIEF
The Financial, Social, and Health-related Costs of Managing Diabetes in Michigan

A new IHPI policy brief highlights research from Minal Patel, Ph.D., M.P.H., professor of public health, and colleagues exploring the significant financial, social, and health-related burdens faced by Michiganders living with diabetes. The brief examines how the costs of medications, supplies, and ongoing care can create barriers to effective disease management, leading to stress, reduced treatment adherence, and poorer health outcomes. It also outlines policy opportunities to reduce financial strain and improve access to affordable diabetes care across Michigan.

Weil joins IHPI's National Advisory Board

Alan Weil, J.D., M.P.P., senior vice president of public policy and director of the AARP Public Policy Institute, has joined IHPI's National Advisory Board. Weil served for 10 years as editor-in-chief of Health Affairs. Before that, Weil held roles with the National Academy for State Health Policy, the Urban Institute, the Colorado Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing, and the Massachusetts Department of Medical Security. He also serves as director of the Aspen Institute Health Strategy Group and is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine.

Related: Meet our National Advisory Board members

Expert Q&A: How U-M research helped inform new FDA warning to protect cancer patients

Expert Q&A: Michigan Child Care Related Infections Surveillance Program

Established in 2013, the Michigan Child Care Related Infections Surveillance Program, or MCRISP, was the first online tool in Michigan and among the first in the U.S. to track pediatric illness. Andrew Hashikawa, M.D., clinical professor of emergency medicine and pediatrics, discusses why it is important to track illnesses in young children, how MCRISP was developed and what a decade of surveillance has shown.

Monthly Faculty News Digest

Most people over 50 have LGBTQ+ friends or family, but LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges, poll finds

New findings from the U-M National Poll on Healthy Aging show that 69% of non-LGBTQ+ adults age 50 and older have at least one personal connection to someone who is LGBTQ+. The poll also found that LGBTQ+ older adults are more likely than their non-LGBTQ+ peers to report fair or poor mental health, activity-limiting disabilities, isolation, and a lack of companionship.