More than 745,000 Michiganders Will Be Eligible for New Health Insurance Premium Tax Credits in 2014

New Report Provides County-Specific Breakdown of Tax Credit Eligibility by Income, Age, Race and Ethnicity, and Employment Status

Washington, D.C.— A report released today says that in 2014, more than 745,000 Michiganders will be eligible for premium tax credits that will help them pay for health coverage—a doorway to quality health care for individuals and families of all ages and of all racial and ethnic backgrounds across the state.

The report from the national health consumer organization Families USA includes county-by-county data, which reveal how many Michigan families in different income brackets (ranging as high as $94,200 for a family of four) will soon be protected from having to spend more than a set percentage of their income for health coverage.

Under the terms of the Affordable Care Act, these premium tax credits take effect in January 2014, following an open enrollment period that begins in October of this year. The tax credits will be determined on a sliding scale based on income. People with the lowest incomes will receive the largest tax credits, ensuring that those who need it most will get the greatest financial assistance.

The tax credits will help Michiganders purchase health insurance that meets their specific needs in the new health insurance marketplace, sometimes called the “exchange,” which is being set up in the state. The tax credits will flow directly to the health plans in which families or individuals enroll, offsetting the total cost of plan premiums.

In terms of statewide eligibility, the report, “Help Is at Hand: New Health Insurance Tax Credits in Michigan,” says:

• More than 745,000 Michiganders will be eligible for new premium tax credits in 2014.
• People with annual incomes between $47,100 and $94,200 for a family of four (incomes between 200 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level) will make up about 56 percent of the Michiganders eligible for the tax credits.
• About three-quarters (about 75 percent) of the Michiganders who will be eligible for the premium tax credits will be white, non-Hispanics; while about 13 percent of the eligible Michiganders will be black, non-Hispanics; and about 6.5 percent of the eligible Michiganders will be Hispanic.

The report provides the same data on eligibility for counties or county groupings, based on how data are presented by the U.S. Census Bureau, across the entire state of Michigan. For example:

• In Wayne County, which includes the city of Detroit, approximately 147,290 Michiganders will be eligible for the premium tax credit, and about 54 percent of those residents will be families with incomes between 200 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Approximately 47 percent of the eligible residents will be white, non-Hispanics; about 40 percent will be black, non-Hispanics; and about 8 percent will be Hispanic.
  
   
• In the county cluster that includes Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham Counties and the city of Lansing, about 31,850 people will be eligible, and about 53 percent of those residents will be families with incomes between 200 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Approximately 79 percent of the eligible residents will be white, non-Hispanics; about 7 percent will be black, non-Hispanics; and about 7 percent will be Hispanic.
  
   
• In Kent County, which includes Grand Rapids, about 45,640 Michiganders will be eligible for the premium tax credit, and about 54.5 percent of those residents will be families with incomes between 200 and 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Approximately 73 percent of the eligible residents will be white, non-Hispanics; about 8 percent will be black, non-Hispanics; and about 14 percent will be Hispanic.

The report also provides specific data on the employment status and age of eligible Michiganders, showing that an overwhelming number of those who will be eligible for premium tax credits will be in working families, and that young Michiganders (ages 18-34) make up a large proportion of those who will be eligible for assistance.

“The tax credit subsidies are a game-changer: They will make health coverage affordable for huge numbers of uninsured families who would have been priced out of the health coverage and care they need,” said Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA.

“These premium tax credits will make private health insurance more affordable for working families with incomes between 138 and 400 percent of the poverty level,” U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI) said today. “This October, open enrollment in the marketplace will begin for coverage that will be available in January 2014. This new, affordable coverage will literally be a lifesaver for tens of thousands of people in my district.

“For lower-wage workers, monthly premiums could be as low as 2 percent of their income,” Peters said. “Finally, Michigan residents will be able to go to the doctor when they are sick instead of the emergency room. This will result in lower overall health care costs.”

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Families USA is the national organization for health care consumers. It is nonprofit and nonpartisan and advocates for high-quality, affordable health care for all Americans.

1201 New York Avenue NW, Suite 1100 · Washington, DC 20005
202-628-3030 · Email: info@familiesusa.org · www.familiesusa.org