Medicaid in Michigan: The Healthy Michigan Plan
Michigan expanded Medicaid in April 2014. The program, called the Healthy Michigan Plan, covers adults ages 19 through 64 with household incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level (about $22,025 per year for a single person, or $45,540 for a family of four). Unlike Indiana's HIP 2.0, the Healthy Michigan Plan does not require contributions to a personal account to maintain full benefits.
Healthy Michigan Plan members choose from several managed care plans depending on their county, including Blue Cross Complete, Meridian Health Plan, Priority Health, Aetna Better Health, and others. The program covers comprehensive benefits including dental, vision, prescription drugs, and mental health care.
If your income is near the 138% FPL cutoff and you apply through HealthCare.gov, the system will check your Medicaid eligibility automatically and route you to the right program.
What plans cost in 2027
Premiums went up again for 2027. Here is the benchmark (second-lowest cost Silver) premium for a 40-year-old before subsidies, from HealthCare.gov plan data:
- Wayne County (Detroit): about $591 per month, up from $508 in 2026
- Oakland County: about $529, up from $505
- Kent County (Grand Rapids): about $530, up from $471
- Marquette County (Upper Peninsula): about $1,034, up from $910
This follows a 20.2% average increase for 2026 approved by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS). Your actual price depends on your age, county, tobacco use, and the plan you pick.
The enhanced premium tax credits expired after 2025 and were not renewed, so for 2027 there is no tax credit above 400% of the federal poverty level ($63,840 for a single person, $132,000 for a family of four). Below that line you still get help, but you pay a larger share of your income than you did in 2025. Michigan had about 497,000 people pick a marketplace plan during 2026 open enrollment, according to CMS.
Carriers in Michigan (2027)
Seven insurance companies offer individual marketplace plans in Michigan for 2027, the same group as in 2026. (Molina, HAP CareSource, and UM Health Plan left at the end of 2025.) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are part of the same Blue Cross family:
- Ambetter from Meridiansells plans in 35 of Michigan's 83 counties for 2027, including the major metro areas. Premiums are often competitive. Networks are narrower than Blue Cross but cover the major hospital systems in metro areas.
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan / Blue Care Network together have the widest reach. Blue Care Network HMO plans are available in all 83 counties for 2027, and BCBSM PPO plans in 72. BCBSM PPO plans have the broadest networks in the state. Blue Care Network HMO plans are more affordable but restrict you to BCN providers.
- Priority Health sells plans in 68 counties for 2027, with its strongest presence in western Michigan around Grand Rapids. Priority Health is part of the Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) system.
- McLaren Health Plan Community is tied to the McLaren Health Care hospital system, which operates 13 hospitals across Michigan. It sells plans in 60 counties for 2027. A solid option if your care is within the McLaren system.
- Oscar Health sells plans in only four counties for 2027, including Kent County, and appeals to enrollees who want a technology-focused insurance experience.
- UnitedHealthcare offers plans in 17 Michigan counties for 2027, including metro Detroit. As a national carrier, UHC can be a good fit if you travel frequently and want a broader out-of-state network.
Key regions
Detroit metro (Wayne, Oakland, Macomb)
The state's largest market with the most carrier competition. Wayne and Oakland counties each have six of the seven marketplace insurers for 2027 (all but Oscar). Major health systems include Henry Ford Health, Beaumont (now Corewell Health East), Ascension Michigan, and the Detroit Medical Center (DMC). Check which systems are in-network, because the Detroit area has enough separate hospital systems that no single carrier covers all of them.
Grand Rapids and western Michigan
Priority Health is dominant here, with its roots in the Corewell Health (formerly Spectrum Health) system. Blue Cross and Ambetter also compete in the region. Corewell Health's Butterworth Hospital and Helen DeVos Children's Hospital are the major facilities.
Lansing and mid-Michigan
McLaren Greater Lansing and Sparrow Hospital (now part of University of Michigan Health) serve this area. Carrier options are good but not as deep as Detroit. If you are affiliated with Michigan State University, check whether your preferred MSU Health Care providers are in-network.
Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula
Fewer carriers and higher premiums. Munson Healthcare is the main hospital system in the Traverse City area. The Upper Peninsula has limited options. In Marquette County, for example, the only 2027 choices are Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network, and the benchmark premium for a 40-year-old is over $1,000 a month before subsidies. Travel distances to specialists can be significant, and telehealth coverage matters more in these areas.
Estimate your subsidy
Subsidy Estimator
Enter your info below to get a rough estimate of your monthly premium tax credit for a 2027 marketplace plan.
Michigan-specific things to know
Don't just auto-renew. Over 200,000 people were moved to new plans for 2026 when three carriers left, and many never compared options. Prices and networks changed again for 2027, so review your plan during open enrollment. Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. If you enroll between December 16 and January 15, coverage starts February 1.
Medicaid work requirements are coming.Michigan tried to add work requirements to the Healthy Michigan Plan years ago, but federal courts blocked them. Now federal law requires them: states must start by January 1, 2027 (a state making a good-faith effort can get extra time). Most expansion adults ages 19 to 64 will need to show 80 hours a month of work, school, job training, or community service. Parents of children under 14, pregnant people, people who are disabled or medically frail, and some others are exempt. Keep your contact information current with MDHHS so you don't miss a notice.
Auto insurance interacts with health coverage. Michigan reformed its no-fault auto insurance law in 2019, allowing drivers to choose lower Personal Injury Protection (PIP) levels if they have qualifying health insurance. If you have an ACA marketplace plan, you may be able to select a lower PIP option on your auto policy, which can save several hundred dollars per year on car insurance.
Resources
- HealthCare.gov for marketplace enrollment (Michigan uses the federal marketplace)
- Healthy Michigan Plan for Medicaid eligibility and enrollment
- Michigan DIFS for insurance consumer resources and complaint filing