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MHA Monday Report Feb. 9, 2026

February 9, 2026February 6, 2026 Member News, Monday Report

IMLC Legislation Clears House, Continuing Education and Credentialing Bills Advance

The Michigan House of Representatives voted in support of House Bill 5455, sponsored by Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Grosse Ile Township), which would restore Michigan to the IMLC. The compact supports access to care, particularly in rural …

Former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow Addresses MHA Board

The MHA Board of Trustees’ Feb. 4 meeting featured a discussion with former U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, who is now a senior policy advisor with DC-based Liberty Partners Group, a bipartisan strategic consulting firm. Stabenow …

MHA Releases FAQ on Rural Health Transformation Program Funding

The MHA recently released a new frequently asked questions (FAQ) document to help members better understand allowable uses, limitations and compliance requirements related to Michigan’s Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP). The FAQ clarifies that RHTP …

CMS Releases 2025 Occupational Mix Survey for Hospitals

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the 2025 occupational mix survey to collect data from hospitals paid under the Medicare inpatient prospective payment system. Survey results will be used to adjust …

MHA Reinforces Evidence-Based Vaccination Guidelines

The MHA is strengthening its commitment to evidence-based immunization practices under the guidance of the MHA Healthcare and Public Health Integration Council and chief medical and nursing leaders. Efforts include distributing educational resources, reaffirming alignment …

Initiative Seeks to Expand Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Services in Michigan

Providers who serve pregnant people, infants and families are encouraged to complete a brief survey to help build Michigan’s first statewide Perinatal and Infant Early Childhood Mental Health (PIECMH) Provider Directory. The initiative is led …

HHS Announces $100M Investment in Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced a $100 million investment to expand substance use disorder treatment, mental health services and housing-related supports under the administration’s Great American Recovery initiative. …

MDHHS Withdraws PIHP Procurement

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has withdrawn its request for proposals (RFP) to competitively procure Prepaid Inpatient Health Plans (PIHPs), ending the planned rebid process. The decision follows a Jan. 8 …

Hospitals Help: Youth Safety Event Teaches UP Students Emergency Preparedness

Camp 911 is a hands-on, youth-focused safety event supported by Marshfield Medical Center-Dickinson hospital that is designed to teach school-aged children essential emergency response skills. The camp brings together professionals from various fields to demonstrate …

News to Know

MHA Endorsed Business Partner Wakely is hosting the webinar Summary and Impacts of the 2027 Medicare Advantage Advance Notice Feb. 12 from 1 – 2 p.m. ET.
The 2026 MHA Human Resources Conference, scheduled for March 24 at the Crowne Plaza Lansing, will convene human resources leaders and professionals who are shaping the future of the healthcare workforce.
MHA Endorsed Business Partner CyberForce |Q is hosting an in-person Coffee & Collab for Cybersecurity Leaders Feb. 10 from 8:30 – 10:00 a.m. ET at CyberForce|Q headquarters in Plymouth, MI.

MHA in the News

The Mining Journal published a statement from the MHA chief medical officer 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 …

MHA Releases FAQ on Rural Health Transformation Program Funding

February 5, 2026February 6, 2026 Member News

The FAQ clarifies that RHTP funding is temporary and intended to support specific care transformation activities. Funds cannot be used to cover routine operating costs, financial losses or to replace existing funding. Repayment may be required if funds are used for purposes not approved or if required documentation and reporting are not completed.

The document also addresses common questions raised by hospitals, including the use of RHTP funds for provider payments, health information technology investments, electronic medical record upgrades and limited facility improvements. In all cases, expenses must be directly connected to transformation activities approved by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Additional RHTP information and resources are available on the MHA’s Rural Health Transformation Program webpage. The MHA will continue to update both the FAQ and the webpage as more guidance becomes available from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and CMS.

Members with questions may contact Lauren LaPine-Ray at the MHA.

Hospitals Help: Munson Healthcare, Community Partners Offer Free Family Support Program

January 28, 2026February 1, 2026 Hospitals Help, Member News

Marina, a Healthy Futures participant, with her family and newborn son.

Healthy Futures is a free family support program that helps answer questions and assists families in finding services and resources in the community. The program, which has no eligibility requirements, is a collaboration between Munson Healthcare, local health departments and healthcare providers across 31 counties in the northern Michigan region.

The main goals of the program are around increasing access to care, immunization education and breastfeeding support services. The program includes newsletters and texts sent by Munson, phone calls and home visits by a public health nurse in the community.

After struggling with breastfeeding her newborn daughter, one patient enrolled in the program and accepted a home visit, which resulted in a life-saving diagnosis and treatment for postpartum preeclampsia, a condition that can be fatal if left untreated.

“Today, I’m alive, healthy, and here to enjoy my daughter, son and family because Healthy Futures stepped in at the right time,” said Marina, a Healthy Futures participant. “They helped me breastfeed, taught me how to boost my milk supply, monitored my baby’s weight, checked in on my mental health…and after almost five months, they’re still checking on me and my baby.”

To learn more about the program, visit Munson Healthcare’s website. To read more positive hospital stories, check out more Hospitals Help webpage and the 2025 Community Impact Report. Members with questions may contact Lucy Ciaramitaro at the MHA.

MHA Monday Report Jan. 26, 2026

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026 Member News, Monday Report

House Appropriations Committee Hears RHTP Testimony, IMLC Bill Advances

The Michigan House Appropriations Committee heard testimony on federal funding awarded through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), and legislation to add Michigan back into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) advanced during the week of Jan. 19. The House Appropriations Committee heard …

Legislative Policy Panel Hears Legislative Updates

The MHA Legislative Policy Panel met virtually Jan. 21 to develop recommendations on legislative and policy issues impacting Michigan hospitals. The meeting began with guest speakers from the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and The Cornerstone …

CMS Implements New Online Form for Medicare Advantage Complaints

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently implemented a new online form for providers to submit complaints related to Medicare Advantage plans. A CMS memorandum announced the implementation of the form, which is …

MHA Launches Rural Health Transformation Program Webpage

The MHA has launched a new webpage dedicated to the Rural Health Transformation Program, providing members with a centralized source of information on Michigan’s participation in the program. The webpage includes an overview of …

Updates to Michigan’s Reporter Protocols for Infants Born Exposed to Substances

Michigan has updated its mandated reporter guidance for infants born exposed to substances, establishing distinct reporting requirements for exposure to non-medically prescribed substances and exposure related to prescribed treatment. The updates are intended to clarify …

Webinar Explores Strategies to Strengthen Revenue Integrity

The MHA and MHA Endorsed Business Partner AMN Healthcare Revenue Cycle Solutions will host A Tale of Three Health Systems: Their Mid-Revenue Cycle Insights and Road to Revenue Integrity webinar from 11 to 11:50 …

Hospitals Help: Corewell Health Program Addresses Youth Vaping Prevention, Cessation

Rural schools in Newaygo County, like so many across Michigan, were seeing an increase in the number of students caught vaping. To address this community-wide concern, Corewell Health Gerber Hospital established the Corewell Health Gerber …

Keckley Report

CMS’ 2024 Health Spending Report: Key Insights

“As media attention focused on Minneapolis, Greenland and Venezuela last week, the Center for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) released its 2024 Health Expenditures report Thursday: the headline was “Health care spending in the US reached $5.3 trillion and increased 7.2% in 2024, similar to growth of 7.4% in 2023, as increased demand for health care influenced this two-year trend. “…

The current environment for the healthcare economy is increasingly hostile to the status quo. Voters think the system is wasteful, needlessly complicated and profitable. Lawmakers think it’s no man’s land for substantive change, defaulting to price transparency, increased competition and state regulation in response. Private employers, who’ve bear the brunt of the system’s ineffectiveness, are timid and reformers are impractical about the role of private capital in the health economy’s financing.

The healthcare economy will be an issue in Campaign 2026 not because aggregate spending increased 7-8% in 2025 per CMS, but because it’s no longer justifiable to a majority of Americans for whom it’s simply not affordable. Regrettably, as noted in Corporate Board Member’s director surveys, only one in five healthcare Boards is doing scenario planning with this possibility in mind.

Paul Keckley, Jan. 18, 2026