Michigan’s Medicaid System Under Scrutiny: Deloitte Contracts and Disability Coverage Gaps
When Technology Fails the Vulnerable
Ecorescuezone.com – Marie Noon, a 48-year-old woman living with a disability, relies on eight different medications each day to maintain her health. One pill regulates her heart rate to prevent stroke complications, another wards off severe headaches, and a third prevents dangerous fluid retention in her body.
More than ten years ago, medical professionals diagnosed Noon with adult-onset Still’s disease—a rare inflammatory arthritis condition characterized by rashes, intense pain, and recurring fevers. This diagnosis dramatically altered the trajectory of her life.
Previously, Noon enjoyed a conventional suburban existence in Michigan. She regularly transported her two children to extracurricular activities including cheerleading sessions, choir rehearsals, and track practice. She maintained active participation in her local PTA and held a management position at a financial institution.
The illness transformed her daily reality. Severe pain forced her to crawl toward the bathroom, while constant crying became her companion throughout each day as her condition worsened significantly.
For eight consecutive years, Noon remained unable to work—a period defined by extended hospitalizations lasting several weeks at a time. “I honestly thought I was going to die,” she recalled during an interview.
A Shocking Denial Rooted in Technology
Last year, Michigan authorities rejected Noon’s application for Medicaid benefits following the loss of her private insurance coverage. The rejection proved particularly frustrating because it stemmed from a technical error within the state’s computer system, according to Anastassia Kolosova, a disability rights attorney who successfully helped Noon overturn the decision.
“I can’t afford my medical care. I have to have insurance,” Noon explained, noting that she has since resumed employment.
Deloitte, a global consulting corporation valued in the billions, has managed Michigan’s Medicaid eligibility infrastructure under agreements totaling approximately $768 million since 2006, based on contract documentation examined by KFF Health News. Across the United States, Deloitte commands a substantial portion of this governmental sector: minimum twenty-five states have granted the firm contracts to construct or operate computer networks governing access to essential safety net programs including Medicaid.
Nationwide Patterns of Systemic Issues
KFF Health News research revealed that Michigan’s technology platform has mistakenly routed disabled individuals toward reduced benefit packages offering limited services or rejected their coverage entirely. Comparable difficulties featured prominently in a Tennessee class-action lawsuit, as court filings indicate, while Texas has experienced similar complications according to state documentation and interviews.
This investigation draws upon statements from government officials, emails secured via public records inquiries, official communications dispatched to Medicaid participants and applicants, and conversations with legal representatives alongside patients or their family caregivers.
“No system anomalies causing routine denials of Medicaid for people with disabilities,” Deloitte spokesperson Karen Walsh stated in an email response.
“There are many reasons why someone may no longer be eligible for a benefit they once received or believe they deserve,” Walsh continued. “All of the eligibility systems we support are owned by the states and built to their unique specifications. We will continue to work at the direction of our state clients.”
Lynn Sutfin, representing Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, indicated that her agency “is not aware of any widespread or systemic issues” within the Bridges platform—Michigan’s eligibility network for Medicaid, SNAP, and supplementary assistance programs—specifically concerning disability-related eligibility routes.
Looking Ahead: Major Legislative Changes
Since 2006, Deloitte’s agreements with Michigan have established the company’s responsibility for developing, implementing, maintaining, operating, and enhancing the state’s eligibility infrastructure.
These technological complications signal potential difficulties as states prepare to implement the most substantial and intricate modifications to their Medicaid programs in recent memory. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act mandates comprehensive updates to Medicaid computer systems across the nation, requiring verification of employment status and other critical details.
According to KFF data, approximately 15.5 million Medicaid recipients nationwide live with disabilities.
“When these administrative systems get overloaded, everyone gets impacted,” observed Pamela Herd, a University of Michigan professor specializing in bureaucratic barriers to government assistance. “The systems are going to be really, really strained.”
In Michigan’s case, Noon qualified for Medicaid through a program designed for working disabled adults. However, the state’s computer network failed to recognize her disability status and incorrectly determined that her income exceeded eligibility thresholds, according to KFF Health News document reviews and interviews with both Noon and her attorney.
Deprived of Medicaid coverage, Noon covered hundreds of dollars personally for prescription medications, searching extensively for discount coupons to reduce costs. She takes several of her medications with food to minimize gastrointestinal side effects, a routine that becomes more challenging without insurance assistance for pharmaceutical expenses.
