KALAMAZOO, Mich. — With major federal policy changes set to take effect in January 2027, local community leaders and lawmakers gathered in Kalamazoo Wednesday morning to launch “Medicaid Matters: Stay Covered, Kalamazoo!” a campaign focused on helping Kalamazoo County residents maintain Medicaid coverage.
The W.E. Upjohn Institute at the Kalamazoo College Fieldhouse hosted a community breakfast to formally launch the campaign, estimating that the new Medicaid work requirements could place nearly 200,00 Michiganders and 12,000 Kalamazoo County residents at risk of losing coverage.
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“In the past, your work status was not a requirement for receiving Medicaid, and now, for a sizeable part of the population, not the whole Medicaid population, but the expansion population, it will be,” Michelle Miller-Adams, Senior Research at The W.E. Upjohn Institute said.
Speakers at the breakfast noted that the impacts would extent beyond individual and family wellbeing, affecting employers, health systems, workforce participation, and the local economy.
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“This will affect everyone. Every employee in Kalamazoo County, every employer in Kalamazoo County,” Rep. Matt Longjohn (D- 40th District) said…