The Washtenaw County Health Project May Shut Down

The Washtenaw County Health Project is a health care guidance operation which "listens, offers guidance, and does everything we can to help."  They don't actually provide health care, rather they guide people to and through health care:

Many clients we help are eligible for different programs, and it can be overwhelming. We’ll listen to your unique situation, answer questions, and help identify the best option. We can help you apply for and enroll in the best healthcare plan for you.

We are also amazing problem solvers and can advocate for you with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and the Marketplace, as well as with hospital billing or doctor’s offices.

We have in-person assistance available in English, Spanish, French, and Arabic, and translation services are available in most other languages.

Some unspecified provision of the OBBBA has apparently reduced their funding:

https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2026/01/washtenaw-county-health-care-aid-program-could-close-after-trump-administration-cuts.html

Washtenaw County health care aid program could close after Trump administration cuts
By Sam Jane | January 25, 2026
After cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration to Medicaid and Medicare, the Washtenaw County Health Project faces a potential shutdown unless it secures $2 million to $4 million within the next six months.

WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI - The Washtenaw County Health Project helps about 8,000 uninsured residents obtain health insurance and access medical care each year.

But after cuts under President Donald Trump’s administration to Medicaid and Medicare, the project faces a potential shutdown unless it secures $2 to $4 million within the next six months.

“At this point, I don’t know where (the money) will come from,” Executive Director Jeremy Lapedis said.

In 2024, the nonprofit organization reported that more than one of three county residents struggled to have enough money to meet basic needs like health care, food and housing.

But Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill,” signed into law in July, reduces federal spending on health care and food assistance by more than $1 trillion over a decade and impacts Medicaid and Medicare, two of the largest health care providers for low-income and elderly Americans. This has left the Washtenaw County program’s future at risk.

Lapedis said more than 15,000 county residents will potentially become uninsured within the coming months, and the Health Project does not have the means to support any more coverage.

The organization currently faces a financial deficit of $1.2 million. It will need the additional $2-4 million annually to continue the program.

Currently, the project receives funding from four major sources. Washtenaw County provides $850,000 annually from its general funding, which includes taxpayer money. The county contributed an additional one-time payment of $450,000 this year. Trinity Health and Michigan Medicine also partner with the organization, along with one anonymous donor who provides a few hundred thousand dollars out-of-pocket annually to cover residents’ medical expenses.

A Washtenaw County Health Department spokesperson said while the department works closely with the Health Project, they don’t provide the organization with any funding.

The nonprofit helps county and Southeast Michigan low-income residents establish a health care plan. Of the residents the project serves, around 3,500 are on the Washtenaw Health Plan, which provides doctor and clinical visits, outpatient labs and x-rays and emergency room visits. That coverage is available to low-income people living in Washtenaw County who are not eligible for any other health insurance and whose income level is 217% below the poverty line, $33,961 and $11,935 per additional person.

Lapedis approached county officials after Trump’s cuts to discuss a path forward, requesting additional county funding while also exploring other sources of financial support.

“We’re going to need some sort of large source of funding that is likely either county funding, or state funding,” Lapedis said.

Katie Scott, chair of the County Commission, is confident Lapedis and the county can find a path to viability.

“One of my priorities on the board of commissioners, and as chair, is to make sure people continue to have healthcare access,” said Scott, a Democrat representing District 9.

Scott told MLive that while the county won’t be able to make up for all the project’s financial shortfalls, she’s hopeful the board will prioritize its future. The commissioners are set to meet at a retreat in February, when they will discuss financial prioritizations and the Health Project’s fate.

The commissioner said a new tax has not yet been discussed. She said she is hopeful state and federal funding could be directed to the organization, though she is unsure whether that support will materialize. Washtenaw County residents have consistently paid taxes for various public services in the past.

“I know people have millage fatigue,” Scott said. “But I also think about what’s happened in this county when millages are put up about services, it seems like people put these values into action... I think people understand that millages for services are a necessary thing.”

She expects the board of commissioners to have a clearer plan of action within the next three months.

“I am hoping that we’re going to come out of that retreat and we’re going to have this renewed commitment to the Washtenaw Health Project,” Scott said.