The MHA received media coverage the week of April 7 on potential Medicaid funding cuts, pediatric behavioral health and healthcare costs.
9&10 News aired a story April 9 on potential federal Medicaid funding cuts. MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel spoke with 9&10 News, explaining how the cuts would specifically impact rural healthcare. Representatives from McLaren Health Care and Munson Healthcare also appeared in the story.
“In our rural areas, we have small populations, and some of them are also shrinking, which makes it that much harder to sustain certain services because of the fixed costs being spread over so few people,” said Appel. “When we lose a labor and delivery unit, we lose it for that entire population.”
Second Wave Michigan published a story April 8 about how Michigan hospitals are improving pediatric behavioral healthcare. Lauren LaPine, MHA senior director of legislative and public policy, spoke with Second Wave Michigan about the MHA’s behavioral health work, focusing particularly on the $50 million state grant the MHA served as the fiduciary for to expand inpatient pediatric behavioral health capacity in the state. LaPine also highlighted the data the MHA collected regarding emergency department boarding, which shows at least 155 people at any point, including 17 children, are in an emergency department awaiting behavioral health care.
“Our data in Michigan reflects some of the trends that we see nationally in terms of the increasing need for behavioral health services for children and youth,” said LaPine. “So, we are paying really close attention to that need and want to make sure that our member hospitals and health systems are able to address the need when pediatric patients and their families come to the hospital in a behavioral health crisis.”
Lastly, Crain’s published a story April 9 about the role of hospitals regarding rising healthcare costs. MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the story, explaining how the majority of rising costs are due to responding to market trends for labor, as well as rising costs for facilities, drugs and supplies.
“The largest expense for hospitals is labor … A large component to increased healthcare costs for hospitals is making sure healthcare workers are appropriately and competitively compensated so they can provide care to patients when and where they need it,” said Peters.
Members with any questions regarding media requests should contact John Karasinski at the MHA.