Whitmer Directs Michigan Regulators to Help Residents Keep Affordable Health Coverage

State insurance office to offer guidance for residents navigating federal changes to ACA marketplace, Medicare, and Medicaid

Katie Powers
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Katie PowersSenior Editor
  • Licensed auto and home insurance agent

  • 3+ years experience in insurance and personal finance editing

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Katie uses her knowledge and expertise as a licensed property and casualty agent in Massachusetts to help readers understand the complexities of insurance shopping.

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Chris Schafer
Edited byChris Schafer
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
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  • 8+ years editing experience

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John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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Published | Reading time: 2 minutes

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Michigan residents who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace will get some help navigating federal-level changes that affect eligibility. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has directed the state’s Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) to help residents understand their options, sign up, or stay enrolled in marketplace plans.

Whitmer issued the order on Aug. 8 in response to federal changes to Medicaid and ACA marketplace programs that occurred this summer.

“Republicans in Washington, D.C., passed legislation that will raise the cost of health insurance by thousands of dollars per year,” Whitmer said in her executive order. “While I can’t control healthcare policy at the national level, I’m doing what I can to ease the burden on Michigan families.”

Whitmer’s statement refers to the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), a federal budget bill that significantly decreased healthcare spending. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that, as a result of the OBBBA, 11.8 million people will lose access to health insurance in the next 10 years.

“Just a few weeks before [the passage of OBBBA], the Trump Administration finalized changes to the Marketplace that will cause people in Michigan to lose their coverage as early as next year (CMS Rule),” Whitmer wrote, referring to a new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services rule that decreased eligibility in the ACA Marketplace.

“These policy changes are designed to make it harder for people to get and keep their health insurance, even when they are eligible,” said Whitmer.

Like other U.S. states, Michigan will have to implement the new law and comply with new eligibility requirements.

The executive order directs Michigan’s DIFS to increase awareness and educate Michigan residents about complying with new federal healthcare requirements and navigating changes to open enrollment. The DIFS has also been instructed to connect people with enrollment resources.

“We are proud that Michigan currently has the lowest uninsured rate in history, but new federal changes will raise out-of-pocket costs and make it more difficult to apply for and stay enrolled in health insurance, jeopardizing Michiganders’ health,” said Anita Fox, the director of Michigan’s DIFS.

All other state departments and agencies are to cooperate with DIFS as needed, per the order.

What’s next?

Michigan residents can access a DIFS live call center at 1 (877) 999-6442 to ask questions about open enrollment and changes to the ACA marketplace. DIFS employees can also connect residents with health insurance navigators for help evaluating options, signing up, and maintaining enrollment, when possible.

The DIFS’s live call center is open Monday through Friday during standard business hours (8 a.m. to 5 p.m.). Michigan residents can also visit michigan.gov/healthinsurance for more information and resources.

The U.S. open enrollment period for 2026 will last from Nov. 1, 2025, to Jan. 15, 2026. Enrollees who want coverage to begin on Jan. 1 need to choose a plan by Dec. 18, 2025.

Katie Powers
Katie PowersSenior Editor

Katie Powers is an insurance writer at Insurify with a producer’s license for property and casualty insurance in New York and expertise in personal finance and auto insurance topics. She strives to help consumers make better financial decisions. Prior to joining Insurify, she completed her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Emerson College. Her work has been published in St. Louis Magazine, the Boston Globe, and elsewhere. Connect with Katie on LinkedIn.

Chris Schafer
Edited byChris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
Chris Schafer
Chris SchaferDeputy Managing Editor, News and Marketing Content
  • 15+ years in content creation

  • 7+ years in business and financial services content

Chris is a seasoned writer/editor with past experience across myriad industries, including insurance, SAS, finance, Medicare, logistics, marketing/advertising, and many more.

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John Leach
Reviewed byJohn LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
Photo of an Insurify author
John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

  • NPN: 20461358

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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