The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.
The MHA and our members are reviewing this proposal and remain engaged with legislators on opportunities to strengthen healthcare delivery without reducing access to care in rural communities, destabilizing local healthcare systems or increasing costs for patients and families.
Providing accessible, affordable healthcare remains the top priority for Michigan hospitals. However, proposals that introduce additional administrative burdens and arbitrary government price controls would exacerbate the affordability challenges they seek to address. Neighboring states that have adopted similar policies face significantly higher costs than Michigan, which ranks third lowest in the country for hospital prices relative to Medicare. The reality is hospitals continue to operate despite a challenging financial environment, where real consequences are hospital closures, as we recently saw this week with the closure of a 101-year-old rural nonprofit Michigan hospital facility.
Our members are committed to ongoing dialogue with lawmakers to ensure policy proposals are evaluated with a clear understanding of their real-world impact on patients, providers and local healthcare systems.
Michigan hospitals continue to support policies and collaborative initiatives that reduce administrative waste, lower prescription drug costs, expand insurance options and promote healthier communities.