Medicaid expansion topic of public meeting Tuesday in Washtenaw County
Washtenaw County residents with questions about changes in health care laws and what options are available to them are encouraged to attend a public meeting in Scio Township.
State Rep. Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline, will host an informational session about health care options in Michigan from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Scio Farms, 6655 Jackson Road.
Gretchen Driskell
Joining Driskell at the event will be Marianne Udow-Phillips, director of the Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation; Josh Fangmeier, a policy analyst at CHRT; and Ellen Rabinowitz, executive director of the Washtenaw Health Plan.
The Michigan House of Representatives, in a 75-32 vote on Tuesday afternoon, gave final legislative approval to a plan to reform Medicaid and expand eligibility under the Affordable Care Act.
The move allows the state to use more than a billion dollars in federal funding next fiscal year to expand Medicaid access to individuals earning up to 133 percent of the poverty level.
That's around $15,000 for an individual or $31,000 for a family of four.
Gov. Rick Snyder's administration estimates the expansion could eventually cover up to 470,000 new residents. The governor also believes the measure will steer people away from expensive emergency rooms and toward primary care, reduce state spending and improve the economy.
The Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti Regional Chamber applauded the bipartisan passage of Medicaid expansion this week, saying the concept has broad support from the business community.
The chamber believes the money saved by Medicaid expansion can be used for other important and pressing budget issues facing Michigan, including transportation and education. The chamber issued a statement saying the move also protects employers from penalties under health care reform and lessens their costs by reducing uncompensated care, thus lowering premiums.
"Expansion will save taxpayer dollars by reducing emergency room visits and uncompensated care by hospitals, physicians and other providers, while leading to healthier and more productive workforces," the chamber stated. "It can generate additional business activity by increasing Medicaid payments to hospitals, physicians and other providers, in turn creating new jobs in health care, one of our largest fields of employment. Finally, Michigan businesses in many sectors will benefit from the newly hired health care employees buying goods and services."
Andy LaBarre, the chamber's vice president for government relations, said Washtenaw County's delegation was at the forefront on this issue.
"We want to thank representatives Driskell, Irwin, Rutledge and Zemke for their votes in favor of this vital legislation," he said. "We also thank Senator Warren for her support and Senate Majority Leader Richardville for his leadership in moving the bill and supporting it."
Ryan J. Stanton covers government and politics for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at ryanstanton@annarbor.com or 734-623-2529. You also can follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's email newsletters.
Comments
BhavanaJagat
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 3:24 p.m.
WholeDude - Whole Slave: In the context of providing health care insurance, I want to describe the United States as a slave holding nation. My intention is not to offend any person. The term servitude refers to Labor in which the person who performs the labor has no right to his earnings from labor. There are over 10 million documented temporary residents who regularly pay into the system for their retirement insurance(SSA) and health care insurance(Medicare) and their contributions are recovered by the provisions of Federal Insurance Contributions Act(FICA) and deducted from paychecks. I cannot give precise numbers but the Department of Health and Human Services is aware of the presence of several individuals who have reached the full retirement age of 66-years and yet they are not entitled to receive the benefits to which they have fully paid their dues. I would call them as the Slaves of the State as the word Slave represents a person who has no legal right to his earnings from his labor. These slaves have no access to Medicare and cannot purchase insurance coverage from the proposed health exchanges, and are not eligible for Medicaid. We have transformed the Union, the idea which President Abraham Lincoln had defended at the cost of spending precious human lives.
JimmyD
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 11:31 a.m.
As a general reminder: most of our peer-countries pay less than $5,000/yr for healthcare. We're north of $8,000 per individual. Just the facts Ma'm.
Arborcomment
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 10:31 a.m.
Michigan's proposed plan to join the federal Medicaid/ACA actually needs Obama administration approval to proceed because of two stipulations in the State's bill: 1) Medicaid participants WILL pay 5% of their income for Medicaid services - even if they are at or below poverty income level. 2) The 5% increases to 7% after four years of use (meaning the participant has not become eligible through income increases for standard insurance under the Obamacare exchange program). It will be interesting to see if the Obama administration can swallow this common sense approach. It's also interesting to see that Michigan.gov's own website touts one the advantages of the bill as providing a viable alternative to small businesses requirement to pay a $2000 penalty for not providing insurance. Think about the "benefit" for that folks. Small company "A" apparently will pay full time workers as little as $15,500 a year, not pay the penalty for not providing insurance because Medicaid will cover their employees?
Dog Guy
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 12:09 a.m.
The magnum push sales sessions for retirement investments and time-share condos are also called informational sessions, but with them you get a chicken dinner.
thinker
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 9:29 p.m.
Unfortunately, there are not enough primary care providers to steer these people to! Doctors taking early retirement, fewer applicants...
Carrie Rheingans
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 1:54 p.m.
Fortunately, there is some data to review about this statement - the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation, a health policy center based here in Ann Arbor, published a study earlier this year that surveyed primary care providers across the state, and the vast majority of them said that they would have enough capacity to accept the newly eligible: http://www.chrt.org/public-policy/policy-briefs/primary-care-capacity-and-health-reform-is-michigan-ready/
Sparty
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 2:43 a.m.
You are a Medicaid patient who has been unable to find a physician accepting the insurance, to back up your claim?
Michigan Man
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 10:25 p.m.
Thinker - incorrect - I recruit PCP physicians daily in my work - tons around, easy to grab, they come pretty cheap for physicians. Sounds like your understanding of this matter may be out of line?
Ken
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 5:35 p.m.
Michigan may think it's getting a free ride of federal infusion of funds to pay for expansion of Medicaid. However, after three years the federal participation ends and Michigan will be responsible for the entire amount. Many states realize the folly of this program and have chosen to "opt out." Gov. Snyder does us a disfavor in support of this scheme (of Obama). Just wait for your tax bills three years down the line to explode.
maallen
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.
And if you believe that 10 years from now the Federal government will pay 90% of the bill, you know the same government that changes hands every 2 to 4 years and argue about funding, then I heard there is a bridge that you can buy.
Carrie Rheingans
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 1:58 p.m.
Fortunately, we have a local health policy research center that has recently published a study on this very topic: http://www.chrt.org/publications/price-of-care/the-impact-of-aca-taxes-and-fees/ The federal portion for the newly eligible only goes down to 90% over the next ten years, so Michigan won't have to foot that entire bill. This funding is offset by other cost controls in the law, as detailed in the aforementioned study.
Nicholas Urfe
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 1 p.m.
So @Ken, you would rather those individuals get their health care in emergency rooms, at far greater costs to taxpayers? Is that your "solution"?
Sparty
Mon, Sep 9, 2013 : 2:41 a.m.
DBH is correct. 100% for 3 years followed by 90% Federal Medicaid reimbursement afterwards for those States moving forward with the Expanded Medicaid. It's amazing how people continue to post inaccurate info due to their partisan opinions about the Law. Facts matter.
DBH
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 10:17 p.m.
@Elijah Shalis is correct, and @Ken is wrong. "Increasing Access to Medicaid. Americans who earn less than 133% of the poverty level (approximately $14,000 for an individual and $29,000 for a family of four) will be eligible to enroll in Medicaid. States will receive 100% federal funding for the first three years to support this expanded coverage, phasing to 90% federal funding in subsequent years. Effective January 1, 2014." http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/timeline-text.html Stop trying to propagate misinformation (to put it mildly) about ACA (or anything else, for that matter).
Jack Gladney
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 7:49 p.m.
"I do not believe that is true. Nice Try" I do not believe that my copay on scripts is going to quadruple on October 1st. *clicks heels* Just checked again. Yep. It's still happening.
Ivor Ivorsen
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.
Incorrect Ken. The really folly is states not "opting in"... "The additional state cost of implementing the Medicaid expansion is small relative to total state Medicaid spending. The incremental cost to states of implementing the Medicaid expansion would be $8 billion from 2013-2022, representing a 0.3% increase over what they would spend under the ACA without the expansion.The $8 billion includes the state share of costs for both newly eligible adults and the additional Medicaid participation among currently eligible populations that would result from expansion. If all states implemented the Medicaid expansion, federal spending would increase by $800 billion, or 21%, compared to the ACA with no states implementing the expansion." (Source: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation; 11/1/2012) http://kff.org/health-reform/report/the-cost-and-coverage-implications-of-the/
Mike
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.
Elijah - I guess I would trust what you believe over the reality. This is just another government scheme that will head down the same path as Medicare and Social security which are both going broke; not to mention the soon to be 17 trillion the federal government owes...........There's no such thing as a free lunch and the more resources the government consumes the less there are to create real jobs where you could buy your own stuff. it's a shame that once proud Americans now find themselves with their hands out waiting for the government to take care of them.
Elijah Shalis
Sun, Sep 8, 2013 : 6:11 p.m.
I do not believe that is true. Nice Try