Tag: Michigan House of Representatives

Michigan House Passes Important Medical Decisionmaker Legislation

Member News

The Michigan House of Representatives unanimously approved legislation Sept. 18 to establish next-of-kin designation, allowing certain family members of an incapacitated patient to make medical decisions on their behalf. House Bills 4418 and 4419, sponsored by Reps. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown) and Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township), would update state law to recognize the essential role of family in medical decision-making when a patient cannot act on their own.

The MHA-supported legislation, which passed 98-0, now heads to the state Senate for further consideration.

Members with any questions related to the legislation may contact the advocacy team at the MHA.

Headline Roundup: House Budget Reaction

Member News, MHA In The News

The MHA received a host of media coverage from across the state during the week of Aug. 25 after the MHA issued a media statement reacting to the state budget bill passed Aug. 26 by the Michigan House of Representatives.

House Bill 4706 would institute several harmful changes to hospital funding, which could result in more than 20,000 job losses in Michigan hospitals. The statement from MHA CEO Brian Peters expressed the MHA’s strong opposition to this version of the state budget, expressing the harmful consequences it would bring and the need for a state budget that protects existing hospital funding.

Friday, Aug. 29

Thursday, Aug. 28

Wednesday, Aug. 27

Tuesday, Aug. 26

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

House Budget Guts Hospital Funding

News Releases

The following statement can be attributed to Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association.

The proposed state budget from the Michigan House of Representatives guts hospital funding and would be disastrous if even a semblance of the cuts eventually makes it into the state budget. Michigan hospitals already stand to lose more than $6 billion over the next ten years due to federal budget cuts. Slashing more funding that supports delivering healthcare services and the nurses, physicians and other staff employed by hospitals harms Michigan and our more than 10 million residents.

Hospitals are already bracing for busier emergency departments, sicker patients and higher rates of uncompensated care. We are extremely disappointed in the message being sent to healthcare providers to do more with less. Hospitals can only stretch resources so far before it impacts their ability to provide the care our communities need.

Hospitals need a real budget by Sept. 30 that supports healthcare and those who show up to work every day to care for Michiganders. It is time to stop playing political games and get to the table with real solutions that give our state the basic support that it needs.

Capitol News Outlets Cover 340B Legislation

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

MHA CEO Brian Peters

The MHA received media coverage the week of Dec. 9 on Senate Bill 1179, which would protect access to affordable prescription drugs and healthcare services through the 340B Prescription Drug Pricing Program. The bill was reported out of the Senate Oversight Committee Dec. 11 and passed the full Senate Dec. 13.

Lansing political outlets MIRS and Gongwer both published stories Dec. 11 that included portions of a media statement issued by the MHA after SB 1179 moved out of committee. Additional stories were published by MIRS Dec. 12, Gongwer Dec. 13 and 340B Report Dec. 13 following the passage of SB 1179 by the full Senate.

“Michigan’s senators stood up to the out-of-state pharmaceutical interest groups and we applaud them for their efforts,” said Peters. “We now call on the Michigan House of Representatives to follow the Senate’s lead and get this bill over the finish line. Michiganders can’t afford to continue to have their healthcare services attacked to pad PhRMA balance sheets.

Outside of this week’s activity on 340B, the Becker’s Healthcare Podcast published an episode Dec. 12 with Peters that was recorded at the Becker’s Healthcare 12th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable. Peters discusses the evolving challenges and opportunities in healthcare, including cybersecurity, the role of AI, workforce issues and the importance of community partnerships to address health equity.

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

MHA Board of Trustees Considers Election Impact and Association Priorities

Member News, Top Issues - Healthcare

The MHA Board of Trustees began its Nov. 13 meeting with a review of the results from the federal election and its potential impact on key association priorities, led by Carlos Jackson and Mike Goodman with Washington D.C.-based Cornerstone Government Affairs.

The board also received a state election update and discussed the association’s advocacy strategy during lame duck, which is expected to be active due to the shift in party leadership next year from Democratic to Republican control in the Michigan House of Representatives. Opposition to government-mandated staffing ratios, preservation of Michigan’s medical liability law and protecting the 340B drug pricing program remain strong priorities during the remainder of the current session and for the year ahead.

The board reviewed and discussed the MHA 2024-2025 Strategic Action Plan, which sets the association’s priorities for the year and highlights areas needing long-term focus from the MHA and the hospital community. The plan is organized into five key pillars this year:

  • Workforce support
  • Protecting access
  • Support for mental and behavioral health
  • Creating healthy communities
  • Strengthening cybercrime/cybersecurity policy

Board member David Miller, MD, president, University of Michigan Health, executive vice dean for Clinical Affairs, UM Medical School and professor of Urology, University of Michigan Health, provided a safety story that illustrated the important role leaders play in setting an example and in modeling a culture of safety within an organization.

The board concluded with board task force reports, MHA Keystone Center and MHA Service Corporation reports, regional hospital council reports, an AHA report and an update from MHA CEO Brian Peters.

Members with questions about the actions of the MHA Board of Trustees may contact Amy Barkholz at the MHA.

2024 General Election: What’s Ahead in Michigan

Member News

Below is a summary of the projected results for Michigan’s top races that will influence healthcare following the 2024 General Election. Official state and local outcomes will be available in the coming days on the Michigan Secretary of State website.

  • U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) will take the U.S. Senate seat following a close race with opponent Mike Rogers (R-White Lake). Slotkin is a former national security official currently serving Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, which includes all of Ingham, Livingston, Shiawassee and Clinton counties, as well as parts of Eaton, Genesee and Oakland counties. In Congress, Slotkin worked across the aisle to help pass legislation to make prescription drug prices more transparent. She also fought to pass laws that capped the cost of insulin for seniors and allowed Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices. In addition, she worked closely with the MHA and the hospitals in her district during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Justice Kyra Harris Bolden (D-Wayne) will serve a partial term on the Michigan Supreme Court after a projected win against Patrick W. O’Grady (R-Macomb). Once elected, Justice Bolden will take office in January 2025 and fill the remainder of a term that is underway. Justice Bolden is an incumbent candidate serving her second year on the Michigan Supreme Court since being appointed in January 2023. After receiving her Juris Doctorate, Justice Bolden became a criminal defense attorney and later a civil litigation attorney. Prior to joining the Supreme Court, she served in the Michigan House of Representatives for two terms, where she sat on the Judiciary Committee.
  • Kimberly Ann Thomas (D-Wayne) will take the full-term seat after a projected win against Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale). She will take office at the start of the new term and serve for a full eight years. Thomas is a professor at the University of Michigan Law School and co-founder of the university’s Juvenile Justice Clinic. She also served on the bipartisan Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform and has been recognized for her service by the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan and has served as an expert for the American Bar Association (ABA) Rule of Law Initiative.
  • Republicans will flip the Michigan House of Representatives from Democratic control beginning in January of 2025. Although official results are not in, Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) is presumed to serve as speaker of the House and Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) as minority House leader for the 2025-26 term.

Beyond election cycles, the MHA encourages Michiganders to stay informed on state and federal issues and engage with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Attend coffee hours, host facility tours and take the time to educate local decision-makers on what issues impact Michigan hospitals, staff, patients, communities and access to care.

For more information regarding election results, contact the MHA advocacy team.

House Campaign Committee Chairs Address Legislative Policy Panel

Member News
House Campaign Committee Chairs Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) and Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) present during the MHA Legislative Policy Panel meeting.

The MHA Legislative Policy Panel met at the MHA Capital Advocacy Center May 15 to develop recommendations for the MHA Board of Trustees on legislative initiatives impacting Michigan hospitals.

The meeting was highlighted by presentations from each political party’s House Campaign Committee Chair. Rep. Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) represented the Republications and Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park) presented for the Democrats. Each lawmakers highlighted the importance of the upcoming election, as all 110 Michigan House of Representatives seats will be on the ballot.

Regarding action items, the panel made two recommendations. The first is for the MHA to support House Bills (HB) 4746 to expand the range of healthcare professionals who can testify that a patient required Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) and modifies the procedures for diverting individuals charged with misdemeanor offenses to AOT. The panel also recommends the MHA continues to work to ensure patient safety and equitable access is protected, including a collaboration with hospitals, in legislation that proposes the integration of community midwifery care into the healthcare continuum.

The panel received additional updates on state legislative activities regarding Medicaid funding, the state budget and the state workforce.

For more information on the MHA Legislative Policy Panel, contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.