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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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
- The MHA Person & Family Engagement Advisory Council met virtually Jan. 15 to identify ways to support the MHA strategic action plan.
- MHA Endorsed Business Partner CyberForce|Q is hosting the webinar Proactive Cyber Risk Measures from 11 a.m. to noon ET on Jan. 29.
- The enrollment deadline for the MHA Healthcare Leadership Academy is Feb. 6. The cohort meets Feb. 25–27 and May 7–8 at the MHA headquarters in Okemos.
Having knowledgeable and well-skilled teams is vital to deliver exceptional care and the MHA offers a robust lineup of meetings, webinars and collaborative opportunities to support hospital leaders and clinicians throughout the year. From major statewide conferences and leadership programs to timely virtual briefings and sessions hosted in partnership with MHA Endorsed Business Partners, the MHA’s education and events offerings are designed to help hospitals navigate regulatory changes, strengthen operations and advance quality and safety.
