As federal Medicaid eligibility changes take effect, community partners across West Michigan are helping residents understand their healthcare options and keep their benefits up to date.
In August, the West Michigan Medicaid Task Force, Kent County Health Equity Council and West Michigan Welcome Plan Collaborative worked with local organizations to host four MI Bridges workshops. Nearly 100 community members attended, including immigrant and refugee families seeking help reviewing their healthcare coverage and updating their MI Bridges accounts.
Kent District Library provided eight Chromebooks to help community members access MI Bridges in trusted community spaces. Experienced Medicaid Navigators also provided hands-on assistance with MI Bridges accounts, coverage questions and available healthcare options, with interpretation available in several languages.
Connecting Residents With Support
Two workshops were held Aug. 15 and 16 in partnership with Pastor Banza Mukalay and Espoir Razi at their church. About 50 people attended, with Medicaid Navigators from Eastern Michigan University’s Center for Health Disparities providing assistance and interpretation in Swahili and Kinyarwanda.
Additional workshops were held Aug. 28 and 30 at the West Michigan Friendship Center, serving approximately 40–50 attendees. Medicaid Navigators Krishna Bista and Haitham Atiyah provided assistance, with interpretation available in Arabic, Dari and Pashto.
Following the workshops, several community members reported that their Medicaid coverage had been restored. The events also highlighted the value of experienced Medicaid Navigators, trained interpreters and providing services in trusted community spaces.
One challenge for some participants was accessing their MI Bridges accounts when they did not have their usernames, passwords or email access.
The workshops also sparked interest from several organizations in becoming MDHHS Medicaid Navigation Partners and training their staff to provide additional support to the communities they serve.
Find Healthcare Resources
Residents who are uninsured, underinsured or ineligible for Medicaid can review the Health Care Options brochure.
Community organizations interested in hosting a workshop can access translated community-event flyers.
For help coordinating a workshop or connecting with Community Navigators or interpreters, contact Katie Jourdan at coordinator@westmimedicaid.org.
Additional information and translated Medicaid resources are available through the West Michigan Medicaid Task Force.
Add a comment to: Community Workshops Help Residents Navigate Medicaid Changes