Michigan denied Marie Noon’s application for Medicaid benefits last year after she lost private insurance. An attorney stated that the denial of Noon’s Medicaid benefits was due to an IT error.

The state’s computer system did not register that Noon is disabled and indicated she earned too much to qualify for the program. Noon was eligible for coverage through a specific initiative that provides insurance to disabled adults who are employed.

Noon takes eight medications daily to manage heart rate, prevent headaches, and prevent fluid retention. She was diagnosed with adult-onset Still’s disease more than a decade ago and said she could not work for eight years because of her condition before recently returning to the workforce.

Following the denial, Noon paid hundreds of dollars out-of-pocket for her prescriptions. She said she wanted to give up during the process and described the experience as a nightmare. “It was kind of a nightmare,” Noon said.

“I honestly thought I was going to die,” Noon said. “I can’t afford my medical care.” She added that her doctor agreed to reduce the number of visits to help her avoid medical bills.

“It was stressful not knowing if my medicine’s going to be $50 or $500 this month, because it changes constantly,” she said. She emphasized the necessity of her coverage, stating she has to have insurance. Without them, she’s toast.

Anastassia Kolosova, a supervising attorney with Disability Rights Michigan, helped Noon navigate the process to obtain coverage. Kolosova stated she has been unable to get a meeting with state officials to understand the underlying problem that deprived Noon of health coverage.

Karen Walsh, a Deloitte spokesperson, addressed the situation in an emailed statement. Walsh stated the company found “no system anomalies causing routine denials of Medicaid for people with disabilities.”

“There are many reasons why someone may no longer be eligible for a benefit they once received or believe they deserve,” she said. She noted that “all of the eligibility systems we support are owned by the states and built to their unique specifications.” She added that the company would “continue to work at the direction of our state clients.”

Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, stated the department “is not aware of any widespread or systemic issues” within Bridges, the state’s eligibility system for Medicaid, SNAP, and other benefits, “related to disability‑based eligibility pathways.”

Deloitte has operated Michigan’s Medicaid eligibility system under contracts worth roughly $768 million since 2006. The contracts state the company is responsible for the development, implementation, maintenance, operations, and enhancements to the system.

A KFF Health News investigation found that Michigan’s system has incorrectly directed people with disabilities into skimpier benefits that cover limited care or has denied coverage completely. Similar problems were at the center of a class-action suit in Tennessee, according to court documents.

At least 25 states have awarded Deloitte contracts to build or run computer systems that control access to safety net benefits. Companies including Deloitte, Accenture, and Optum are being paid millions in taxpayer funds to make changes to Medicaid computer systems.

Pamela Herd, a University of Michigan professor who researches bureaucratic obstacles to accessing government benefits, commented on the situation. “When these administrative systems get overloaded, everyone gets impacted,” Herd said. “The systems are going to be really, really strained.”

President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act dictates changes to Medicaid programs that require states to update their computer systems. The law’s SNAP restrictions began to take effect in 2025, and major Medicaid provisions begin later in 2026, generally after the midterm elections.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is projected to strip Medicaid from roughly 7.5 million people and SNAP from 2.4 million people by 2034. These changes occur within a broader safety net where Medicaid covers roughly 67 million people with low incomes or disabilities. According to KFF, roughly 15.5 million people on Medicaid nationwide have a disability.