The MHA received media coverage the week of May 9 on the upcoming Public Health Code Rules requiring implicit bias training for all professions licensed or registered under the Public Health Code and the recently approved extension by The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of Michigan Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program coverage for 12 months after pregnancy.
Bridge published May 11 a story on the healthcare industry’s reaction to the June 1 implementation date of the implicit bias training requirement. MHA CEO Brian Peters is quoted in the article expressing the positive reaction from hospitals on the requirement and their commitment to eliminate health disparities.
“There’s been no push back,” said Peters. “Everyone realizes this is the right thing to do.”
State of Reform also published May 10 an article on the increase in coverage for postpartum mothers from 60 days after birth to a full year in Michigan. Laura Appel, executive vice president of government relations and public policy, MHA, spoke with State of Reform on the importance of this coverage extension towards addressing maternal mortality and racial disparities.
“It feels counterintuitive to why healthcare coverage for women would end 60 days after they gave birth,” said Appel. “You would in no way expect coverage to end so quickly.”
Chris Mitchell, executive vice president, advocacy & public affairs, MHA, discussed the financial and staffing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Michigan with State of Reform, FOX 47 News and WILX News 10 during the week of July 12.
State of Reform published an article July 2 reviewing introduced legislation at the state level that impacts hospitals and health systems, including bills that would streamline prior authorization, modernize the scope of practices for certified registered nurse anesthetists and provide more medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorder in emergency departments.
The article quotes Adam Carlson, vice president, advocacy, MHA, on details of House Bill 4420. Included in the budget bill is $125 million to add more pediatric psychiatric patient beds in hospitals, improves behavioral health access in the Michigan emergency departments and adds more appropriate settings for inpatient behavioral health care.