Federal Comment Letter on the Flint, Michigan Section 1115 Extension Request

Families USA submitted a comment letter to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the state of Michigan’s request to renew the Flint, Michigan Section 1115 waiver. The waiver expands Medicaid coverage to children and pregnant women served by the Flint water system with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level.

Extending the section 1115 request would be a step toward health justice for Flint residents. The ongoing water crisis also speaks to underlying social and structural drivers of health inequities, which in turn now are compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic. In our comments, we recommend measures to strengthen access to behavioral health services under the waiver and program changes to make the Target Case Management benefit more effective and appealing to beneficiaries.

Families USA fully supports Michigan’s decision to renew and extend its Medicaid Section 1115 waiver.