Category: MHA In The News

The Mining Journal: MHA Chief Medical Officer Affirms AAP Immunization Schedule

MHA In The News

The statement was issued following the distribution of guidance to Michigan families departing from established standards.

Dr. Roth emphasizes the efficacy of vaccines and urges families to seek medical guidance from their providers.

“Vaccines remain among medicine’s most effective tools to keep people healthy and out of the hospital with severe illness,” said Roth. “We encourage Michigan families to speak with their medical provider with questions about immunizations.”

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact Elise Gonzales at the MHA.

Media Recap: Rural Health Transformation Project Fund Distribution

Member News, MHA In The News

The Detroit News published a story Jan. 29 on two recent House Appropriations Committee hearings on the distribution of Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funds.

The article details concern from House lawmakers and rural providers surrounding the program, particularly the designation of Wayne and Oakland counties as partially rural in the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) RHTP application.

Lauren LaPineLauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy and rural health, MHA, is quoted in the story clarifying the department’s commitment expressed to the MHA to ensure rural communities benefit from the funding.

“The state is juggling varying state and federal definitions of rural as it applies for and administers the program,” LaPine-Ray said.

“I can say, very transparently, in our conversations with MDHHS, they did not intend to define a rural community as being one within Wayne or Oakland County,” she said. “They were very specific and intentional in making sure the definition that they used really focused on rural community and rural populations.”

The MHA also received coverage from MIRS and Bridge on 340B and medical debt collection legislation.

Members with questions regarding media requests should contact Elise Gonzales at the MHA.

 

Media Covers Increasing Rate of Flu-Related Hospitalizations

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of Jan. 5, covering the increasing rate of flu-related hospitalizations in Michigan.

Jim LeeBoth Bridge and Michigan Public published stories during the week based on interviews with Jim Lee, senior vice president, policy & data analytics, MHA.  The stories address the overall growth in influenza cases and compares how the 2025-26 flu season in Michigan started earlier than during the prior year.

“It’s too early to tell when that peak will occur, but we’re definitely experiencing flu season a little bit earlier this year in our hospitals,” said Lee to Michigan Public.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Common Ground: Statewide effort tackles postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders

Member News, MHA In The News

Lauren LaPineCommon Ground published a story Dec. 9 on the behavioral health collaborative that the MHA has launched to address postpartum depression and perinatal mood disorders.

Lauren LaPine-Ray, vice president, policy and rural health, MHA, is quoted in the story discussing the MHA’s role in convening the collaborative and the need to address these issues.

“For mothers, depression rates continue to increase,” said LaPine-Ray. “Making sure we have real support for behavioral-health services in this state is somewhere we urgently need to see change and investment.”

The story also highlights collaborative partners, including Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services, with their Mother & Baby Day perinatal mood disorder program, and Michigan State University’s ROSE (Reach Out, Stay, Strong, Essentials) postpartum depression prevention program.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Rural Health Highlights MHA Media Coverage

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of Nov. 17 covering the Rural Health Transformation Program, the MHA’s Community Impact Report and medical debt.

Bridge published a story Nov. 19 on the Rural Health Transformation Program application submitted by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The article covers the lack of specific focus on rural hospitals in the application, as well as the challenges facing rural hospitals, particularly following the federal H.R. 1 Reconciliation Bill. MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel is quoted in the article, as well as members of the MHA’s Rural Health Transformation Program Task Force.

“There is nothing here. There was an opportunity to direct as much as 10% of Michigan’s funding towards health care services delivered in hospitals and none of that happened,” said Appel.

The story was also highlighted by The Washington Post in the publication’s Nov. 21 daily newsletter.

Other coverage during the week included a Gongwer article on the MHA’s 2025 Community Impact report, as well as stories from Crain’s Grand Rapids and Michigan Public on medical debt legislation.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

9&10 News: Rising insurance rates threaten healthcare access in Northern Michigan

Member News, MHA In The News

9&10 News aired a story Nov. 11 about how health insurance rate increases will lead to lower health insurance enrollment, harming healthcare access.

MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story expressing the need to protect existing healthcare coverage tools, such as the enhanced premium tax credits.

“We cannot afford to do any more damage to what is already a fragile healthcare ecosystem in the state of Michigan,” said Peters.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Bridge: Five reasons health insurance rates are rising so much in Michigan

Issues in Healthcare, MHA In The News

Bridge published a story Nov. 5 sharing five reasons why health insurance rates are rising at increasing rates in the state, which included workforce challenges, expiring enhanced premium tax credits, inflation and drug prices.

MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story, discussing the benefits of hospital mergers and acquisitions when it comes to maintaining access to care and affording high fixed hospital costs. He also highlighted the MHA’s federal advocacy efforts to extend the enhanced premium tax credits.

“The cost of electronic medical record infrastructure is extraordinary today. The cost of medical liability insurance coverage, the cost of physician practice subsidization,” said Peters. “You’re better able to bear that underlying cost if you’re part of a larger system that has more capital resources.”

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Peters Expresses Value of Hospitals While Insurance Premiums Rise

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of Oct. 27 as MHA CEO Brian Peters discussed the value of hospitals in light of rising insurance premiums.

MIRS published a story Oct. 30 looking at the cost drivers of increasing insurance rates, interviewing several healthcare and association leaders. Peters mentioned the various costs that have increased for hospitals that are necessary to continue to provide accessible and quality services to patients, including labor, drugs, infrastructure and medical liability.

Peters also shared how “a relatively unhealthy population” showing up with “inadequate health insurance” leads to higher utilization and costs in the system.

Gongwer and The Detroit News published articles Oct. 31 on the topic as well, following approval of the 2026 health insurance rate change requests by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. Peters highlighted the importance of extending the enhanced premium tax credits at the federal level.

“If the Affordable Care Act passage has proved anything, it’s that we can do a much better job of dealing with these health care challenges if people have coverage, and it’s good coverage, meaning not skinny plans, where you’ve got enormous co-pays and deductibles,” said Peters to The Detroit News.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

FREEP Op-Ed: Access to Care is a Promise — and Hospitals Are Keeping It

Member News, MHA In The News

The Detroit Free Press published an op-ed Oct. 21 from MHA CEO Brian Peters that affirms the commitment of hospitals to patients and shares the actions hospitals are taking to keep costs low for patients. Those include moving care to more affordable settings, using lower-cost medication alternatives when appropriate, improving care coordination and expanding the behavioral health workforce.

Peters highlights the cost pressures impacting hospitals, including the rise in prescription drug costs, labor and inflation. He also discusses how public reimbursements routinely fail to cover the cost of that care and the issues it can cause to access to healthcare services when combined with rising costs.

“We’re the backbone of access: the nurse at the bedside at 3 a.m., the surgical team on call, the therapist helping a child walk again. Michigan hospital teams will keep showing up with compassion and professionalism,” Peters said.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.

Media Recap: State Budget & Vaccines

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage the week of Sept. 1 on the state budget and COVID-19 vaccines.

Several news outlets published stories related to the harmful impacts to healthcare found in the state budget bill passed by the Michigan House of Representatives.

Adam Carlson9&10 News aired a story Sept. 2 that includes an interview with Adam Carlson, senior vice president, advocacy, MHA, explaining the cuts found in the bill.

“It includes billions of dollars in cuts that impact things like maternal health care payments to physicians and all sorts of other healthcare related cuts that are completely unnecessary,” said Carlson.

The MHA issued a press release Sept. 3 sharing the House version of the budget endangers 20,000 hospital jobs and a $4.9 billion economic loss to the state. This led to a critical reaction from the House Speaker, resulting in stories from The Detroit News and Gongwer. A MHA media statement shared responding to the Speaker’s criticism was released that evening.

“We will not be bullied away from defending our patients. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protecting healthcare access throughout Michigan,” said Peters in the statement, that was included in the Gongwer story.

Lastly, Bridge published an article Sept. 4 providing information on how to access the COVID-19 vaccine. The MHA provided a comment for the story from Gary Roth, DO, chief medical officer, MHA.

“Our role is to support hospitals in their efforts to increase overall vaccination uptake and avoid the spread of vaccine preventable diseases, as the evidence is indisputable that vaccines are the best tool available to prevent severe illness and save lives,” said Roth.

Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.