LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and others gathered in Detroit Monday morning to celebrate key pieces of the federal Affordable Care Act becoming codified into Michigan state law.
Whitmer signed legislation on Oct. 19 that attempts to duplicate the 2010 federal law, popularly known as “Obamacare,” into state law. The move comes as a protective measure against possible federal repeals, as the federal law has faced several oppositional legal challenges since then-Pres. Barack Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010.
State officials said in a recent news release that the new law “ensures affordable healthcare for Michiganders and makes it harder for the federal government or Supreme Court to repeal the Affordable Care Act.”
As part of the state package, insurers must provide no-cost essential services, including preventive, mental health and emergency services, according to The Associated Press. They can’t deny or limit coverage based on gender identity or sexual orientation, cap coverage in a given year, or across an individual’s lifetime.
The law also prohibits insurers from kicking dependents off their parent’s coverage before age 26.
In Michigan and the other states that have codified ACA provisions into state law, concerns remain about the effectiveness of such measures. Self-funded plans from private employers are exempt from many state insurance laws.
