LANSING, Mich. – Michigan officials are providing more information for residents as the national public health emergency ends and pandemic-era emergency programs expire.
In Michigan, this means there will be changes to data reporting, epidemic orders, and the availability of COVID-19 testing and vaccines.
Free COVID testing in Michigan
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will continue to support free over-the-counter test distribution through the Michigan Library Program.
Tests will also continue to be shipped to households through Project At and that program will have support until at least June.
MDHHS will continue to support the distribution of COVID antigen tests to high-risk settings including long-term care, shelters, jails, and schools.
Free COVID testing will continue to be offered at neighborhood and community testing locations, including the distribution of over-the-counter tests. The CDC will also continue to support free COVID testing at some locations.
Free testing will continue for Michigan residents with Medicaid through Sept. 30, 2024.
COVID vaccines, treatment and epidemic orders
COVID vaccines will shift to the commercial market after the federal supply is depleted, that’s expected to happen sometime this fall. The Biden Administration announced a program to preserve free access to COVID-19 vaccines for the uninsured and underinsured after that shift happens.
COVID-19 therapeutics will continue to be free until the federal government’s supply runs out. After that, cost will depend on the type of health insurance the individual has. No-cost coverage will be available for Michigan residents with Medicaid through Sept. 30, 2024.
“MDHHS will continue to provide resources to Michiganders to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses, including access to free testing and vaccines,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Based on changes being made at the federal level, there will be updates made to data reporting and other requirements our state has been following for the past three years.”
All remaining state epidemic orders will be rescinded. All residential and long-term care facility reporting, testing, and vaccine orders will also come to an end. Hospitals and nursing homes will need to follow CDC and CMS requirements.
COVID data reporting to change
Case, death and demographic data regarding COVID in Michigan will continue to be posted regularly. So will wastewater surveillance, outbreak reporting, COVID-like illness, and hospitalization data.
Negative COVID-test reporting will not be required, which means total test volume and test positivity information will no longer be available on the COVID-19 dashboard.
Other reporting changes include the following:
- Per the ending of the Long-Term Care (LTC) Epidemic Order, Adult Foster Care and Homes for the Aged COVID-19 data will no longer be available on the LTC data page.
- Statewide, aggregate COVID-19 Nursing Home data will be available on the LTC data page.
- Individual facility data can be found through CMS.
- Detailed demographic information on Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children cases will be discontinued.
- The K-12 School District Case Rates dashboard will be discontinued at the end of this school year.
- The COVID-19 vaccine dashboard will be updated to focus metrics on initiation and receipt of a bivalent vaccine and will be updated according to CDC cadence which is expected to be monthly starting in June.
Medicaid coverage will be changing
States will start cutting people from Medicaid when they no longer qualify based on income. That process had been paused since shortly after the COVID pandemic hit.
People with Medicaid will have to renew their coverage this year. Renewals for traditional Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan will take place monthly starting in June 2023 and run through May 2024. Medicaid beneficiaries can check their renewal month online. More information about the benefit changes can also be found online.