Tag: Laura Appel

MHA Leaders Present at Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference

Member News

The 2026 Michigan State of Reform Health Policy Conference convened May 5 in East Lansing, MI, to discuss the most pressing challenges across the healthcare continuum.

Lauren LaPine-Ray, MHA, pictured with (R-L), Phillip Bergquist, Michigan Primary Care Association; John Barnas, Michigan Center for Rural Health; Beth Nagel, Michigan Department of Health & Human Services; and Mat Edick, Michigan Public Health Institute.

Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA and executive director, MHA Center of Rural Excellence, joined a panel to discuss how providers across the state will use Rural Health Transformation Project (RHTP) dollars to improve healthcare in rural communities.

LaPine-Ray addressed the unique challenges rural hospitals are facing in the wake of significant federal cuts to Medicaid funding, which disproportionately impacts Michigan’s rural providers that serve a large portion of the state’s Medicaid recipients. Throughout the presentation, she detailed how rural hospitals will use RHTP funding to invest in innovative technologies and recruit and retain staff to keep care local.

Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations & public policy, MHA, joined a panel discussion on the impacts of the 2025 Budget Reconciliation Act on Michigan’s healthcare provider landscape.

Panelists emphasized the operational and financial pressures the new policies will create for hospitals, clinics and community health centers. Appel outlined hospitals’ concerns about the impending Medicaid work requirements. She highlighted that when qualified individuals go without coverage due to overly complex paperwork, they tend to delay seeking care until a problem has worsened unnecessarily and hospitals end up managing more uncompensated care. She added that when more people go uninsured, healthcare costs rise, affecting affordability for everyone.

Members with questions regarding current legislative activity may contact Laura Appel at the MHA.

Media Recap: Coverage Highlights MHA Insights on Access, Affordability and Innovation

Member News, MHA In The News
Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations and public policy, MHA, during a panel discussion at the Lake Superior Community Partnership Breakfast & Business event.

The MHA received media coverage during the week of March 30 following Executive Vice President of Government Relations and Public Policy Laura Appel’s participation in two panels focused on key healthcare challenges and opportunities.

WZMQ covered the Lake Superior Community Partnership’s Breakfast & Business event, where Appel and Lauren LaPine-Ray, DrPH, MPH, vice president, policy & rural health, MHA, discussed the unique healthcare landscape and challenges in the Upper Peninsula. Appel and LaPine-Ray emphasized how federal policy decisions could impact access to care and economic stability in the region.

The Michigan Daily reported on the Blueprints for Pangaea Healthcare Business Gala, which included a panel presentation in which Appel discussed the need for cross‑sector collaboration to address healthcare access and affordability.

MLive published a story on projected Medicaid coverage losses following the passage of H.R. 1. MHA CEO Brian Peters was quoted in the article discussing the long-term impact on Michigan hospitals.

“For Michigan hospitals alone, that number is north of $6 billion in negative impact over that 10-year horizon,” said Peters. “You cannot take $6 billion out of the hospital funding line without severe consequences in terms of access to patient care.”

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

Appel Joins WJR for State of the State Coverage

Member News
From left to right: MHA EVP Laura Appel pictured with Lance Binoniemi and WJR’s Ryan Ermanni.

MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel joined WJR’s Ryan Ermanni live broadcast Feb. 25 for the station’s annual coverage of the state’s legislative and policy priorities in alignment with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address.

During the broadcast, Appel highlighted hospitals’ commitment to bending the cost curve by ensuring patients receive the right care, at the right time and the right price.

Whitmer also emphasized her desire to lower healthcare costs for Michiganders during her address, specifically calling the state legislature to prioritize protecting Michiganders from medical debt.

Appel also joined WJR’s Chris Renwick and Lloyd Jackson for their live broadcast Feb. 26 following the address to express the need for sustainable healthcare funding to safeguard access to care across the state.

Members with questions should contact Elise Gonzales 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.

2025 Communications Retreat Qualifies for APR CEU Credit

Member News

Registration remains open for the 2025 MHA Communications Retreat scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Henry Center for Executive Development in Lansing. The retreat qualifies for one continuing education unit (CEU) for members with Accreditation in Public Relations (APR) under Category 1A, which may be self-reported through the PRSA online portal.

The lineup of presenters and topics for the 2025 Communications Retreat includes:

  • Tim McIntyre, experienced communicator and former Domino’s Pizza executive, who will share insights on reputation management, drawing parallels between his experiences and the issues hospitals face today, including rebuilding trust, creating transparency and simplifying the patient experience.
  • A crisis communication panel will feature MHA members, including Catherine Dewey, regional marketing communications manager, Munson Healthcare; Mark Geary, senior director, communications & external affairs, Corewell Health, and will highlight lessons learned from past crises in healthcare. The session will be led by crisis communications expert Jeff Gaunt, founder and principal of Gaunt Strategies, who will also facilitate a tabletop simulation where attendees respond to an incident in real time.
  • Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations & public policy, MHA, will provide an update on state and federal healthcare priorities.

This event is designed specifically for professionals working in public relations, communications, media relations, marketing and community relations within Michigan hospitals.

Additional event details and registration information is available on the 2025 Communications Retreat webpage.

Members with questions regarding registration should contact Kennedy Walters at the MHA. Questions regarding the retreat should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.

 

Speakers Announced for 2025 Communications Retreat

Member News

The MHA has confirmed speakers and topics for the 2025 MHA Communications Retreat scheduled Wednesday, Oct. 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Henry Center for Executive Development in Lansing.

The lineup features:

  • Tim McIntyre, experienced communicator and former Domino’s Pizza executive, who will share insights on reputation management, drawing parallels between his experiences and the issues hospitals face today, including rebuilding trust, creating transparency and simplifying the patient experience.
  • A crisis communication panel will feature MHA members, including Catherine Dewey, regional marketing communications manager, Munson Healthcare, and will highlight lessons learned from past crises in healthcare. The session will be led by crisis communications expert Jeff Gaunt, founder and principal of Gaunt Strategies, who will also facilitate a tabletop simulation where attendees respond to an incident in real time. Additional speakers will be announced as they’re confirmed.
  • Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations & public policy, MHA, will provide an update on state and federal healthcare priorities.

This event is designed specifically for professionals working in public relations, communications, media relations, marketing and community relations within Michigan hospitals. We encourage members of these professions to register and participate.

Additional event details, including registration information, are available on the 2025 Communications Retreat webpage.

Members with questions regarding registration should contact Kennedy Walters at the MHA. Questions regarding the retreat should be directed to John Karasinski at the MHA.

News Coverage Continues Focus on Medicaid

Member News, MHA In The News
Laura Appel

The MHA received media coverage during the week of July 28 that continued to focus on the impact the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will have on Medicaid.

Bridge published an op-ed Aug. 1 from MHA CEO Brian Peters refuting public claims defending Medicaid funding cuts in the OBBBA. Peters describes how the cuts will have real consequences for real people, spanning all populations.

“When hospitals lose Medicaid dollars, the burden shifts to other patients, including those with employer-sponsored insurance,” said Peters. “Costs go up. Wait times increase. Local access to specialty care dries up. Employers and families alike will feel the ripple effects, both in their insurance premiums and at the distance they must travel for care.”

WZZM 13 published a story July 30 on the 60th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid being established by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The story references a media statement published by the MHA on the subject.

Laura AppelA story also aired July 30 during the FOX 47 evening news broadcast about how Medicaid changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) will impact rural healthcare providers. MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel was interviewed as part of the story.

Appel also appears in a Crain’s Detroit Business article about healthcare affordability that was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM). Representatives from various Michigan businesses and healthcare groups were invited to join BCBSM and Crain’s in the executive roundtable.

Appel spoke to the cost pressures impacting hospitals and the role hospitals have in addressing rising healthcare costs.

“Most hospitals across our state are looking for those partnerships because they can’t afford to do it on their own,” said Appel in relation to hospitals pursuing mergers, acquisitions and joint ventures.

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

Setting the Record Straight on OBBBA Impacts

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received media coverage during the week of July 21 that focused on setting the record straight about the impacts of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) on hospitals.

The Detroit News published an opinion response from MHA CEO Brian Peters and Michigan League for Public Policy President and CEO Monique Stanton about the harmful consequences to Michiganders and healthcare from the OBBBA. This response follows an editorial from The Detroit News published July 12 that defended the cuts to Medicaid.

“Michigan hospitals are bracing for a $6 billion loss in Medicaid funding over the next decade,” said Peters and Stanton. “When coverage declines, so do reimbursements, but the volume of those seeking care does not. That means fewer resources to staff emergency rooms, provide specialty care or keep maternity units open. When that happens, everyone, not just Medicaid recipients, feels the impact.”

MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel also appeared on The WILS Morning Wake-up on WILS-AM 1320 in Lansing on July 22 to discuss the OBBBA with host Mike Austin.

Lastly, Peters also provided a statement for a FOX 47 story on July 24 expressing the MHA’s opposition to Senate Bills 296 and 297, which would limit any hospital’s ability to require mandatory overtime to just during declared emergencies.

“Requiring nurses to work overtime is rarely used, but hospitals and nursing leaders need the flexibility to make decisions that may require staff to work outside of their normal schedules to ensure patient care when unforeseen circumstances occur in their local communities,” said Peters.

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

Headline Roundup: Continued OBBBA Coverage

Top Issues - Healthcare, Member News, Issues in Healthcare, MHA In The News

The MHA continued to receive media coverage during the week of July 14 about the impacts of the federal budget reconciliation bill, officially referred to as the One Big Beautiful Big Act (OBBBA).

Coverage includes references to the association’s financial estimates, as well as quotes from MHA CEO Brian Peters and MHA Executive Vice President Laura Appel.

Wednesday, July 16

Tuesday, July 15

Monday, July 14

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

MHA Testifies on Hospital Cost Drivers in House Insurance Committee

Member News

The MHA testified before the Michigan House Insurance Committee June 11 on healthcare cost issues affecting hospitals and communities across the state.

Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations & public policy, MHA and Elizabeth Kutter, senior director, government and political affairs, MHA, testified in front of the House Insurance Committee on hospital cost drivers and their impact on hospitals and patients.

Laura Appel, executive vice president, government relations & public policy, MHA and Elizabeth Kutter, senior director, government and political affairs, MHA, testified in front of the House Insurance Committee on hospital cost drivers and their impact on hospitals and patients. Kutter shared that Michigan’s hospitals are more than healthcare providers, serve as economic anchors, stewards of public health and major contributors to community investment. Additionally, Kutter shared data collected by the MHA that Michigan hospitals contributed more than $4.5 billion last year to funding community impact projects like mobile clinics, transportation and housing support, food pharmacies and behavioral health programs.

The testimony also highlighted that hospital expenses are rising nationwide, increasing 5.1 percent in 2024 and outpacing the overall inflation rate of 2.9 percent. These increases are largely driven by labor, prescription drug and supply costs.

Appel provided a detailed explanation on workforce and talent, prescription drugs and supplies as significant cost drivers for hospitals and patients seeking care. Data shared with the committee showed that healthcare is the largest private sector employer in the state, with hospitals employing 222,000 people who provide $10.7 billion a year in tax revenue, and that labor costs typically represent 56% of total expenses for hospitals. In addition, prescription drugs are constantly increasing for hospitals and of the $449 billion spent annually on prescription drugs in the United States, hospitals account for roughly 25 percent of the total. Appel made it clear that hospitals do not set the price of drugs but are subject to the whims of drug manufacturers. It was also shared that supply chain disruptions and inflation continue to affect hospitals’ ability to deliver care. National data shows that per-patient supply costs increased 18.5 percent from 2019 to 2022.

Lastly, Kutter and Appel provided an overview on hospital pricing and reimbursement from commercial insurance. According to the Rand Hospital Price Transparency Study, Michigan had the third lowest average commercial payments relative to Medicare in 2024 and is one of just five states with hospital payments averaging below 200% of Medicare prices. The presentation concluded with a call for working with the legislature to address administrative burdens that impact healthcare access and affordability, and focusing on solutions that keep Michigan a high-quality, lower-cost healthcare state.

Members with additional questions should contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.