80,564 Michiganders lost Medicaid coverage in June, when they were disenrolled under the state's administration of the federal government's recertification process.
The Biden administration declared the public health emergency from the COVID pandemic over in May of this year, so people with Medicaid insurance must once again prove eligibility annually.
Most of the people who were dropped from Medicaid plans in June did not respond in time, or respond at all - to the state's request for documentation showing their eligibility.
The state is notifying those with Medicaid plans of the re-certification requirement on a rolling basis, based on the month when they first applied.
So thousands more could lose coverage each month of the process -- which runs through next spring.
Advocates say the worst-case scenario is that some people may not even realize they have no health insurance anymore, until they face a health crisis and land in the emergency department or a doctor's office.
State officials say they're doing everything they can to notify people before they lose coverage. People will also get 90 days after disenrollment to submit the information required. Failing that, they can re-apply for Medicaid at any time.
