← Back to Atlas · 51 states

Michigan MI

UHC-AnchoredGold-Card

MI Medicaid (Medicaid Health Plans, MHPs): FFS PA goes through MDHHS via CHAMPS. Managed-care PA goes to the member's MHP (9 plans statewide). Specialty BH, IDD, and SUD services are CARVED OUT of MHPs to 10 regional PIHPs (Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans) — mild-to-moderate BH stays with MHP, specialty goes to PIHP. MI Choice Waiver (HCBS LTSS for aged/disabled) routed through Area Agencies on Agi

MI Medicaid (Medicaid Health Plans, MHPs): FFS PA goes through MDHHS via CHAMPS. Managed-care PA goes to the member's MHP (9 plans statewide). Specialty BH, IDD, and SUD services are CARVED OUT of MHPs to 10 regional PIHPs (Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans) — mild-to-moderate BH stays with MHP, specialty goes to PIHP. MI Choice Waiver (HCBS LTSS for aged/disabled) routed through Area Agencies on Aging. Pharmacy uses a Common Formulary administered by MDHHS across MHPs + FFS (carve-out-to-state shape since 2020-10-01). MI Health Link is the dual-eligible demonstration in 4 regions (D-SNP elsewhere). NOT a WISeR pilot state.

MCO brands
11
11 w/ PA portal
Research findings
13
2 flagged
Open SME questions
7
PA rules verified
84/90
93%
HCPCS codes
0
no PDF ingested
MCO brands · 11 catalogued

Who administers prior authorization in Michigan

Upper Peninsula Health Plan, LLC (regional)
Upper Peninsula Health Plan
Research findings · 13 verified facts

Structural facts on file

Carve-out detail · 2
Michigan MHP Common Formulary carves whole therapeutic areas out to FFS

MI Medicaid Health Plan Common Formulary (5/1/2026) carves entire areas to FFS (marked '#'): ALL behavioral health (antidepressants, antipsychotics, ADHD stimulants, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, sedative-hypnotics), HIV antiretrovirals, Hepatitis C DAAs, most targeted oral oncology, enzyme-replacement, hemophilia factor, anti-VEGF, HAE agents, narcolepsy/oxybate/wakefulness, OUD/MAT, CFTR modulators, complement C5, urea-cycle. For these the MHP does NOT set PA — FFS Michigan Medicaid does (typically open-access, which is why they're carved). Captured in drug_pa_rules with note 'carved_out_ffs'. MHP-managed classes use PDL-NP PA (non-preferred require PA).

conf 0.95verified 2026-06-08eff 2026-06-08source
MI pharmacy carve-out: direction=carve_in_to_state
conf 0.90verified 2026-05-21sources (+1)
Discovered shape · 1
MI PA shape: single Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM) PDF carries FFS PA policy; CHAMPS portal submits; MHP/PIHP/PBM carve-outs

Michigan MDHHS expresses prior-authorization on its own terms: a SINGLE giant electronic Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM, ~22MB PDF, updated quarterly) carries coverage/billing/PA policy organized BY CHAPTER (service category). There is no standalone PA-required code list page; the canonical FFS PA criteria live inside the MPM, layered with supplemental MSA/MMP policy bulletins issued between quarterly manual updates. PA SUBMISSION for FFS is operational: providers enter single PA requests through the CHAMPS provider portal PA tab (tracking number becomes the PA number for billing); fax still accepted. Per MMP 26-02 (effective 2026-03-22) standard PA determinations are due within 7 calendar days (extendable +14), expedited within 72 hours. AUTHORITY SPLIT: FFS PA = MDHHS via CHAMPS. Managed-care PA = the members Medicaid Health Plan (9 MHPs). Specialty BH/IDD/SUD carved out to 10 regional PIHPs. Pharmacy uses a state-coordinated Common Formulary (MIPBM) administered by MDHHS across MHPs+FFS. MI Choice HCBS LTSS routed through Area Agencies on Aging. NOT a WISeR pilot state. URL DECAY: all five state_meta primary_source_urls returned HTTP 404 - michigan.gov restructured the provider-section path from /policy-forms-billing/ to /policyforms/ and moved PA under the CHAMPS portal accordion. Live replacements verified head_ok 200 (see repin_candidates). The MPM PDF is served from legacy mdch.state.mi.us and is live.

conf 0.90verified 2026-05-29sources (+3)
1115 waiver · 1
MI 1115 waiver: Michigan Behavioral Health / SUD §1115 Demonstration
conf 0.90verified 2026-05-22source
WISeR pilot · 1
MI WISeR pilot status: ?
conf 0.90verified 2026-05-22source
MCO inventory · 1
MI program model: (unspecified)
conf 0.90verified 2026-05-21source
Foster-care program · 1
MI foster-care MCO program: None
conf 0.85verified 2026-05-21source
LTSS carve-out · 1
MI LTSS carve-out: carved_out_separately_from_medical_mco
conf 0.85verified 2026-05-21source
BH carve-out · 1
MI BH carve-out: carved_out_separately_from_medical_mco
conf 0.85verified 2026-05-21source
Fiscal-agent history · 1
MI FFS fiscal agent history (2 entries)

Current + prior fiscal agents. Tracks ACS-Inc → Conduent/Gainwell transitions so we know when *.acs-inc / *.conduent / *.xerox subdomains die.

conf 0.85verified 2026-05-21
Temporal anchor · 1
MI MCO procurement cycle (5-year)

Last award: 2024-04-08. Next due: 2028-10-30. Contracts extended through: None.

conf 0.85verified 2026-05-21review by 2028-10-30
Other · 1
MI learned PA profile (LLM synthesis 2026-05-28)

## 1. How MI requires PA Michigan's Medicaid program requires prior authorization (PA) through a process outlined in the Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM). The MPM — updated quarterly and available as a large (~22MB) PDF — is the primary document detailing coverage, billing, and PA policies organized by chapter for various service categories. Some medical conditions may bypass prior authorization, but additional information is generally required for claim processing. The CHAMPS portal is used to submit PA requests. The MPM does not provide a standalone list of PA-required codes; it references MMP 26-02 for specific PA requirements. ## 2. How MI publishes and reports PA Michigan's Medicaid program publishes its PA policies through the Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM), updated quarterly. The manual provides comprehensive coverage/billing policies organized by service category but does not offer a standalone list of PA-required codes; instead it references MMP 26-02. The CHAMPS portal is the submission platform for PA requests. Reporting on PA activities is likely integrated into broader MDHHS Medicaid reporting, though specific channels/frequency are not provided in the source documents. ## 3. MI's CMS-0057-F and PA-reform compliance posture Michigan's CMS-0057-F posture is unclear from the source documents. The state operates under several carve-outs (LTSS and behavioral health managed separately from medical MCOs) and has an 1115 waiver for the Healthy Michigan Plan plus a Behavioral Health/SUD §1115 Demonstration. There is no explicit mention of CMS-0057-F compliance or specific PA-reform initiatives in the corpus. Michigan is **not** a WISeR state. (WISeR = the federal "Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction" Medicare prior-authorization model, which applies only to AZ, NJ, OH, OK, TX, and WA — not Michigan.) No WISeR participation should be inferred for MI. ## 4. How MI runs its own program Michigan's Medicaid program is managed by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), operating under a Managed Care Organization (MCO) model with contracts awarded roughly every five years. The last MCO procurement-cycle award was April 8, 2024, with the next due date October 30, 2028. Michigan carves out long-term services and supports (LTSS) and behavioral health services from medical MCOs. The state also has an 1115 waiver for the Healthy Michigan Plan and a Behavioral Health/SUD §1115 Demonstration. The Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM) is the primary coverage/billing/PA reference. ## 5. Patterns, what's notable, and what's missing/uncertain ### Notable Points: - **Medicaid Provider Manual (MPM):** Comprehensive resource for Medicaid policies including PA requirements. - **CHAMPS Portal:** Used for submitting PA requests (electronic submission). - **Carve-outs:** LTSS and behavioral health managed separately from medical MCOs. ### Missing/Uncertain: - **Specific PA Codes:** The MPM gives no standalone list of PA-required codes; it references MMP 26-02 (not in the corpus). - **CMS-0057-F Compliance:** No explicit mention of compliance or specific PA-reform initiatives. - **Foster Care Program:** Noted as "None," suggesting it may be managed differently or is not covered in the source documents. - **Documentation Requirements:** Additional information is required for claim processing, but specific documentation requirements are not detailed.

conf 0.80verified 2026-05-29
Gold-card law · 1
MI gold-card law: MCL 500.2212e (Public Act 60 of 2022, formerly SB 247)
conf 0.80verified 2026-05-21source
Open questions · 7 flagged for SME review

What we’re still verifying

P1
Whether CHAMPS contract has been re-procured past 2026-09-30
P1
MCO-level enrollment counts and parent-firm subsidiary structure
P1
Final PIHP restructure timeline given active litigation
P1
Status/disposition of pending PA-reform bills in 2025-2026 session
P2
Track pending bill: SB 397 (2025-2026 session) —
Status: reported from senate committee; pending floor. Expected disposition: None.
P2
MI medicaid_ffs: 34 rules need a canonical source_url
After 2026-05-22 bulk-repin pass, 34 rules in MI/medicaid_ffs have dead/no_pa_content source URLs and no available verified MCO brand pa_portal_url to re-pin to. Likely needs a state Medicaid agency provider portal URL. SME action: provide canonical URL.
P2
MI: state_meta.pharmacy dead — https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/prov
find-url-agent detected dead URL: https://www.michigan.gov/mdhhs/doing-business/providers/providers/medicaid/policy-forms-billing/pharmacy (HTTP 404). Pinned in state_meta.pharmacy. Replacement candidates need probing.
Last researched 2026-06-08 · next review 2028-10-30 · ← Back to Atlas