Legislation sponsored by State Rep. Matt Maddock limiting retroactive Medicaid coverage was approved this week by the State House.

The bill is part of a broader House Republican plan to crack down on waste, fraud, and abuse within Michigan’s Medicaid program.

“Medicaid was created to help the most vulnerable,” said Maddock (R-Milford). “But thanks to poor oversight, mismanagement, and a lack of basic safeguards, Michigan’s Medicaid program is hemorrhaging millions of taxpayer dollars every year. It’s simple: if we’re serious about protecting this safety net for those who truly need it, we need to make sure the money is going where it’s supposed to go.”

Maddock’s bill focuses on limiting retroactive Medicaid coverage, aligning state law with federal provisions and helping reduce costs within the program.

Additional bills in the package target other sources of waste, fraud, and abuse by addressing Michigan’s persistent Medicaid payment error rate and reinforcing work requirements tied to public assistance programs.  

“These reforms will help ensure resources are going to the people who truly need them, not hi-jacked by people abusing the system.” said Maddock. “We’re protecting the safety net by making sure it serves the people it was intended to help.”

Maddock added that, after the state Senate’s budget underfunded Medicaid by $500 million last year, it was House Republicans who restored the funding and ensured vulnerable residents could continue receiving the care they rely on.

“The budget proposal we put together this year invests another $800 million into the program and puts real resources behind cracking down on waste, fraud, and abuse,” said Maddock. “Protecting Medicaid and cleaning it up are not mutually exclusive. We’re doing both.”

House Bill 5814 now advances to the Senate for further consideration.