How to Choose a Michigan Medicaid Health Plan

Most Michigan Medicaid members are required to enroll in a Medicaid Health Plan (MHP), Michigan's name for its mandatory managed care organizations. Under the contract cycle that took effect October 1, 2024 (the Comprehensive Health Care Program rebid), MDHHS contracts with nine MHPs to deliver physical-health care, plus some dental, vision, and hearing coverage, to the majority of the Medicaid population. Plan choice is hyperlocal: the specific plans available depend on your county.

This guide lists every 2026 MHP, what makes each distinct, how availability works by county, how to switch plans, and how to pick the right one. It also covers the two major carve-outs, behavioral health and MI Choice waiver services, that sit outside the MHP.

The Nine Current Michigan Medicaid Health Plans

Michigan contracts with nine Medicaid Health Plans under the Comprehensive Health Care Program contracts that took effect October 1, 2024, per the MDHHS Medicaid Health Plan listing. Every MHP covers the same core state Medicaid benefit package; the meaningful differences are network, pharmacy formulary, and value-added benefits, covered further below.1

These MHPs cover "regular" Medicaid members, the large majority of the Medicaid population. AmeriHealth Caritas and Humana are not standard MHPs in Michigan; they participate only in the separate MI Coordinated Health dual-eligible program described below. A set of MI Coordinated Health (MICH) plans serves full-benefit dual eligibles in ten counties plus the Upper Peninsula in 2026, but those are a distinct HIDE SNP structure, not MHPs. See our MI Coordinated Health guide for that program.4

Who Has to Be in an MHP

Most Michigan Medicaid members must enroll in an MHP. The main exceptions are:1

• MI Choice Waiver participants, for their waiver services (the MHP still covers their non-waiver physical-health care).
• Nursing facility Medicaid residents (typically fee-for-service).
• MI Coordinated Health enrollees, who get both Medicare and Medicaid through the MICH plan.
• People in certain short-term coverage categories.

If you are eligible for MHP enrollment, MDHHS notifies you at application or renewal and gives you a deadline to pick a plan. If you do not pick, MDHHS auto-assigns you to one, and you can still switch within your first 90 days.

How Plan Availability Works by County

Michigan divides MHP service across the state's ten "Prosperity Regions," and not every plan serves every region or county. The October 2024 contracts reset which plans operate where, so a plan a neighbor had two years ago may not be an option in your county today. Upper Peninsula Health Plan is the dominant carrier in the Upper Peninsula.1

Because county-by-county participation shifts with the contract cycle, there is one authoritative way to see your real choices: enter your county in the MDHHS "Medicaid Health Plan Listed by County" tool, or call MI ENROLLS. To do that:

• Call MI ENROLLS at 1-888-367-6557 and give your county; the enrollment broker will read back the plans available to you.1
• Or open the MDHHS Medicaid Health Plan listing and find the county-by-county PDF.

Do this before you compare benefits, because a plan's OTC allowance does not matter if the plan is not offered in your county.

What Michigan Medicaid Health Plans Cover

Every MHP must cover the same standard package of Michigan Medicaid benefits. The ones that matter most for seniors:2

• Primary care (regular doctor visits)
• Specialists (cardiology, endocrinology, and the like)
• Hospital inpatient and outpatient care
• Lab, X-ray, and imaging
• Prescription drugs (subject to each plan's formulary and prior-authorization rules)
• Physical, occupational, and speech therapy
• Dental, substantially expanded for adults effective April 1, 2023
• Vision (eye exam and eyewear)
• Hearing exams and hearing aids
• Durable medical equipment
• Non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT)

Because the state sets this package, moving from one MHP to another does not change what medical services are covered. It changes which doctors, pharmacies, and specialists are in network.

What's Carved OUT of the MHP

Two big categories sit outside the MHP:2

Behavioral Health and Substance Use

Mental health and substance use disorder services are delivered through Michigan's regional Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs), working with county Community Mental Health Services Programs (CMHSPs). Your MHP coordinates with the PIHP but does not deliver behavioral health directly.2

MI Choice Waiver Services

If you are enrolled in the MI Choice Waiver, your waiver services (personal care, respite, adult day, home modifications, and so on) flow through your regional waiver agency, not your MHP. Your MHP still covers your doctor visits, hospital stays, and prescriptions.2

Knowing these carve-outs matters when a family asks "why isn't my MHP paying for my mom's counseling appointments?" or "why weren't my mother's MI Choice aide bills covered by her health plan?" In both cases the answer is the same: that service is carved out to a different contractor.

Value-Added Benefits: Where Plans Actually Differ

The state sets the core benefit package, so the "value-added" benefits (VABs) each plan layers on top are where you actually see differences. These change from plan to plan and year to year, so treat the list below as examples to ask about, not a guarantee. Confirm the current offering with each plan's member services line or with MI ENROLLS before you choose:

• An over-the-counter (OTC) allowance for items like aspirin, bandages, and cold medicine
• Supplemental dental above the base state benefit
• Rideshare for non-medical trips such as the grocery store or pharmacy
• Fitness or gym memberships (for example, SilverSneakers)
• A healthy-food benefit for members managing conditions like diabetes or hypertension
• A phone or tablet for telehealth (offered by some plans)
• Expanded hearing-aid coverage
• Member rewards for preventive care such as flu shots and annual checkups
• A 24/7 nurse advice line

Each plan publishes its own VAB sheet. Ask the plan's member services line for the current 2026 version before deciding.

How to Choose a Plan

Work through these steps in order; the network check matters far more than the perks.

How to Switch Plans

Federal Medicaid managed care rules guarantee your right to change plans on a set schedule:3

• Within 90 days of your initial enrollment (or the date the state notifies you of it, whichever is later), you can switch without cause.
• At least once every 12 months after that.
• For cause at any time. Good-cause reasons include a move out of the plan's service area, the plan not covering a service you need, or poor quality of care and lack of access to appropriate providers.3

To switch, call MI ENROLLS at 1-888-367-6557. The broker will confirm your new plan and when the change takes effect.1

Common Misconceptions

"All MHPs cover the same thing." The core Medicaid benefits are identical, but networks, pharmacy formularies, prior-authorization practices, dental networks, and value-added benefits differ. The plan you pick affects which doctors you can see.

"My MHP covers my mental health." Not directly. Michigan carves behavioral health out to the regional PIHP and CMHSP.2

"MI Choice and my MHP conflict." They do not, because they cover different things. MI Choice covers waiver services; the MHP covers your acute physical-health care. You can be enrolled in both.2

"I can't switch plans until open enrollment." The 90-day new-enrollee switch window and "for cause" switches are available any time. The annual window is for "without cause" switches after your first 90 days.3

"MDHHS picks a plan for me if I don't." True. MDHHS auto-assigns new members to an MHP based on county availability and a federal algorithm, but you can switch within 90 days without cause.1

Where to Get Help

Related Terms

• Managed Care Organization (MCO): The national term for what Michigan calls an MHP.
• HCBS waiver: MI Choice is carved out of MHP coverage.
• Consumer Directed Services (CDS): Relevant to MI Choice's Self-Determination Option.

Learn More

Find personalized help picking a Michigan Medicaid Health Plan at brevy.com.

The information on Brevy.com is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional legal, financial, or medical advice. Rules vary by state and program and change frequently. Always verify with the relevant agency or a qualified professional. Brevy is not a law firm, financial advisor, or healthcare provider.