Michigan’s work requirement law for Healthy Michigan Medicaid recipients was blocked by a federal court earlier this month - but Republicans are hoping the federal government takes up the cause to reinstate the policy.

House Concurrent Resolution 17 urges the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services to appeal a decision from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg that halted the state’s implementation of work requirement rules, which went into effect Jan. 1.

House Republicans passed the resolution in a 56-51 vote Thursday, with Republican Rep. Larry Inman, R-Williamsburg, joining Democrats in dissent. A resolution is non-binding, but are often used to declare the legislature’s intent or to ask another body to take action on an issue.

House Democrats slammed Republicans for bringing the resolution up during the coronavirus pandemic, arguing that supporting basing a person’s health care coverage on whether they’re seeking work at the same time people are being advised to limit in-person contact is irresponsible.

“What do we tell people in Michigan who count on Medicaid for their health care, but have not been able to fill fulfill the requirements?” House Democratic Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills, said on the House floor. “Do we tell them to keep track, to hide their symptoms, seek employment and hope they don’t infect anyone else? Is this in the best interest of our communities?”

“We can’t just operate with rose-colored glasses on, we’ve got to be real,” she continued. “If we enforce these work requirements, people will simply forego care.”

House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, defended the move on the House floor Thursday, noting he still stands behind the work requirements and believes the law “encourages habits that will make these individuals sustainable long term.”

“This is about encouraging healthy lifestyles in our state that will enable people to get back on their feet and contribute to the economy and contribute to their community,” he said. “We believe the law that we passed was good for our state...this was the right policy when we passed it. It’s still the right policy.”

Michigan has spent more than $30 million on implementing new work requirements for Medicaid recipients just ruled illegal by a federal judge, and the state now faces a “substantial expense” to wind down the work-requirement program, state officials recently told lawmakers.

The 2018 law signed by former Gov. Rick Snyder required able-bodied adults receiving Medicaid under the Healthy Michigan plan to do 20 hours per week, or 80 hours per month, of “workforce engagement," such as working or going to school.

Exemptions included pregnant mothers, people with disabilities, caretakers of disabled dependents, caretakers of children under age 6 and individuals who have a medical condition that results in a work limitation.'

Almost 700,000 Michigan residents are enrolled in the Healthy Michigan plan, which is available to people age 19 to 64 with a household income below 133% of the federal poverty guideline. State officials have estimated about 100,000 could have lost coverage by failing to fulfill the work requirements.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has argued against the work rules, saying the experience in other states indicates that implementation is expensive and does not yield increases in employment, the GOP’s stated goal.

In late 2019, she’d asked lawmakers to suspend those requirements while legal challenges were still pending, although lawmakers declined to do so.

Related coverage:

U.S. District Court blocks Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements

Whitmer asks judge to throw out Healthy Michigan work requirements

Lawsuit challenges Michigan’s Medicaid work requirements

Whitmer signs bill to change Medicaid work requirement reporting, says legislature should do more

Gov. Whitmer asks legislature to halt Medicaid work requirements

Michigan lawmakers to Whitmer: We’re not pausing Medicaid work requirements