Mike and Emily Baker, both 35, live in Detroit, Michigan, with their 5-year-old daughter Lucy.

Read the following scenario.

Mike and Emily Baker, both 35, live in Detroit, Michigan, with their 5-year-old daughter Lucy. Lucy has epilepsy which is managed with medication but still occasionally has seizures. Last year a seizure caused her to fall and injure her head, which required a trip to the emergency room and a short hospital stay. Emily has asthma, for which she uses an albuterol inhaler as needed, and hypothyroidism, which requires daily generic medication. Mike had a precancerous mole removed from his back last year. They make $23,000 per year before taxes by both working remotely for an online company that does not provide health insurance but gives them the flexibility of being able to work from anywhere. They would like to move to Houston to be close to Emily’s family. The move would also allow them to save on rent because they could live with her mother. In Michigan, the family is enrolled in the state Medicaid program. Although a move would allow them to save on rent, they wonder whether their expenses for health care and health insurance would be so much higher in Texas that they would be better off staying in Michigan.

Post your responses to the two questions below based on the information provided. 

How much do the Bakers pay for their current health coverage in Michigan, including premiums and cost sharing? (Note that you first need to identify what Michigan Medicaid plan(s) the Bakers are on.)

What coverage would they be able get if they moved to Houston? How much would it cost them?

What would you advise them? What additional information would you want to know to provide the best recommendation?

How would your recommendation change if Emily became pregnant?

How would your recommendation change if their income went up to $30,000 next year?