LANSING, MI - The Michigan Senate on Thursday passed legislation requiring able-bodied Michigan Medicaid recipients to work 29 hours per week to continue receiving health insurance.

Michigan expanded Medicaid in 2013 with the Healthy Michigan program, which now insures 683,769 people, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Senate Bill 897, sponsored by Sen. Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake, would require able-bodied Medicaid recipients to work 29 hours per week in order to continue receiving Medicaid. People would be exempt from the requirements if they met certain criteria, like being over 64, having a disability, being pregnant, or being a caretaker for a dependent with a disability or family member under the age of six.

"Study upon study supports the notion that one of the best things a person can do for their own health and in particular one of the best things a person can do for their family's health is to be productively engaged in work," Shirkey told the Senate in urging a yes vote on his bill.

It passed 26-11, with Senate Democrats and Republican Sen. Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage, voting against it.

The bill is made possible by new diction from the federal government, which until recently had prohibited states from instituting such requirements. Now, a handful of state have applied for waivers to implement work requirements and the bill would have Michigan join them.

The Senate Competitiveness Committee approved the bill Wednesday.

Democrats opposed the measure.

"Among the many issues of this bill is that it is fiscally irresponsible," said Sen. Steve Bieda, D-Warren, pointing to a Senate Fiscal Agency analysis that estimates it will cost $20-30 million per year to administer the work requirement.

A series of amendments proposed by Democrats were voted down by the chamber. They would have lowered the number of work hours from 29 to 20, exempted veterans from work requirements, exempt parents with kids under 13 instead of kids under 6 from the work requirements, an exemption for seasonal employees, an exemption for women who experience a miscarriage, require the program to be discontinued if it did not result in cost-savings, exempt people taking care of aging family members and extend the 29-hour work requirement to the state legislature.

It was Sen. Curtis Hertel, D-East Lansing, who proposed that last one, asserting that what was good for the goose was good for the gander. It would be the "height of hypocricy" if the legislature didn't hold itself to the same standard, he said, and cease its taxpayer-funded health care "during winter break, spring break, Mackinac break, summer break, election break or hunting break." It failed 15-22.

While Shirkey did not support any of the proposed amendments, he said his bill already addressed issues like seasonal employment by exempting people in regions with more than 8.5 percent unemployment in any given month.

He sees the bill as helping preserve Healthy Michigan, which he thinks would have to be closed down without changes.

"This is about saving dollars to be spent on people who need it. It is about saving Healthy Michigan, frankly," he said.

A University of Michigan survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that more than half of Michigan Medicaid enrollees were working or were students. Those who do not work faced barriers like poor health or old age, the survey found.

The bill has drawn opposition from some members of the state's congressional delegation. U.S. Reps. Sandy Levin, D-Royal Oak; Dan Kildee, D-Flint Twp.; Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn; and Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield wrote a letter to the governor urging careful consideration on Wednesday.

"Cutting off health coverage for struggling people will undercut the historic gains our state has made in covering the uninsured through the bipartisan Medicaid expansion, which the University of Michigan found helped beneficiaries perform better in existing jobs and in job searches, leading to improved employment," the lawmakers wrote.

"We urge you to reject any effort that would significantly threaten this tremendous progress."

The bill is supported by groups like the Michigan Freedom Fund, which praised its committee passage Wednesday.

"Medicaid work requirements for able bodied adults will grow our economy, cut government spending, and protect Michigan taxpayers," said Chairman Tony Daunt in a statement. "We applaud Senator Shirkey and committee members for their work on SB 89 and urge the full Senate to approve the bill as soon as possible."

The bill heads next to the House. It would need to be approved by the House and signed by Gov. Rick Snyder to become law.