Michigan: 638,000 would lose their healthcare coverage if Republicans repeal the ACA

Last week the "Healthy Michigan" program (our name for Obamacare Medicaid expansion) had reached around 415,000 enrollees. Today it was announced that this number is around 10,000 higher:

Healthy Michigan Plan Enrollment Statistics

Beneficiaries with Healthy Michigan Plan Coverage: 424,852
(Includes beneficiaries enrolled in health plans and beneficiaries not required to enroll in a health plan.)

*Statistics as of October 20, 2014 
*Updated every Monday at 3 p.m.

Obviously this is fantastic news; the state is up to 88% of the 477,000 Michiganders estimated to be eligible for the program.

However, when you add in the 213,000 residents of Michigan who are receiving tax credits via private healthcare policies through the Affordable Care Act...aka "Obamacare"...that's around 638,000 people who would lose their coverage if the Republican Party were to successfully repeal the law, which they've been dead-set on doing for 4 years now.

That is, of course, unless the state of Michigan is willing to then turn around and pony up the $1.29 billlion it would cost to cover the cost of the expansion program and the tax credits for qualifying private enrollees:

• # on Medicaid expansion: 424,853
• State contribution towards Medicaid: 35%
• Average cost per Medicaid enrollee: 
  

  $4,929 per year

• Amount Michigan would have to come up to keep "Healthy Michigan" (aka "Obamacare Medicaid Expansion") in place if the ACA was repealed: $733 million

• # enrolled in private QHPs: appx. 245,000
• % receiving federal tax credits: appx. 87% (213,000)
• Average tax credit: $2,610 per year
• Amount Michigan would have to come up with to keep tax credits in place if the ACA was repealed: $556 million

(I should note that my prior entry on this issue had a higher total of 650,000 people, because I forgot that about 13% of the private enrollees aren't receiving any tax credits, and would presumably be able to afford private policies regardless of the ACA...although then again, they could also be denied for having a pre-existing condition, so who knows?)