As the Michigan Legislature debated whether to expand Medicaid, most people were unaware that popular county health plans would end in January 2013 because funding would be scaled back under the ACA. These plans provided a safety net of last resort for thousands of low-paid adults who would likely qualify for expanded Medicaid if it were approved. Some lawmakers didn’t know funding for county health plans was about to end, nor were they aware that adults with incomes under 100 percent of the poverty level would not be allowed to purchase policies on the health exchange, an option some suggested when asked how poor adults could get health care if the expansion wasn’t approved. This story gave lawmakers and citizens a better understanding of how failure to approve the expansion would impact low-income working adults. (Michigan ultimately approved the expansion.)
