On December 18, 2009, Governor Granholm signed a smoking ban bill into law. This new law, called the Dr. Ron Davis Law, will be put into action on May 1, 2010. The Dr. Ron Davis Law will officially ban smoking throughout the state of Michigan. Smoking will be banned in all public places including workplaces, restaurants, and bars. This law even goes as far as to ban smoking on the patios of restaurants.
As Autumn starts showing its’ colors, literally, all of the usual fall activities join in, leaf-raking, chilly breezes, football games, and, of course, flu season. This year, however, flu season is anything but usual. This year’s flu season has been brought to the forefront of media and public interest due to the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus, or more commonly, the swine flu. H1N1 first appeared early in April of this year, and is the reported cause of close to 3,000 deaths and 26,000 hospitalizations between August 30th and October 24th.
8. What are one or two recent (or previous major) successes you have had in influencing policy?
The defeat of legislation proposed by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan that would have changed the way that individual health care insurance policies were offered in Michigan. In December of 2008, we worked with a coalition that defeated the bills that we felt would make the cost of health care unaffordable for many.
Recent passage (in the House) of the Mortgage Foreclosure Prevention Act. While the bills have yet to be sent to the governor for her signature, we supported a package of bills that would allow for a mediation process for consumers who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure.
Following President Obama’s signing of the massive federal stimulus bill on February 17, 2009, the American Hospital Association released their breakdown of the portions of the ARRA that provide money for health care programs.
During the course of this legislative session, I will use this blog to highlight legislation and bills that have implications in health care policy. All of these bills will not necessarily be viable pieces of legislation…. i.e. the bill is not likely to pass the House of Representatives and the Senate, as well as being signed by the governor. I encourage you to check this blog on a regular basis and I will make an attempt to update this blog as often as possible.
Health Care
Interview with Ken Moore, President of Michigan State Employees Association
Written by Minyao Zheng
Saturday, 16 April 2011 04:01
Minyao: Could you give me a brief introduction about Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA?) Ken: The Michigan State Employees Association (MSEA) represents approximately 3,500 state workers in two bargaining units: Labor & Trades and Safety & Regulatory. We also represent workers at the power plant at Western Michigan University and at the Osceola County Road Commission.
Interview with Greg Francisco, Founder of Michigan Medical Marijuana Association
Written by David E. Hufnagel
Saturday, 16 April 2011 03:10
Greg Francisco is the Founder and Former Executive Director of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association.
Greg: I had started smoking marijuana as an undergraduate here at Michigan State, which was very typical of my peers at the time. That's how it happened. Naive about marijuana from high school at that time, and you came here, and you learned about it.
Breakdown of What Michigan must do to Implement Health Care Reform
Written by Leah Brynaert
Thursday, 14 April 2011 20:54
At the beginning of this year, President Barack Obama passed law known as the Affordable Care Act. This bill entails many requirements. Both states and the federal government are in charge of making sure these requirements are put into place. Michigan, and other states, has a big list of jobs they need to get done in order to comply with the President's new bill. All of these changes must be made between 2010 and 2020. The first thing Michigan must do is create a high risk pool mechanism. This will allow citizens with illnesses that are considered to be a "high risk" to receive the insurance coverage they need. Before the bill, insurance companies made it clear that some illnesses were too risky for them to cover.
Medicaid, created in 1965, is a public insurance program that is designed to provide health coverage to low income individuals and families, of which include children, parents, elderly, and those who are disabled. Medicaid is jointly funded by the federal and state governments. Each state operates its own program within federal guidelines, though these guidelines allow for much flexibility in designing and administering their programs. As a result of this, Medicaid eligibility varies widely from state to state. Considered to be an entitlement program, those who meet the eligibility requirements have the right to receive the coverage.
Lawmaker Wants to Pull Money from HIV Prevention Program
Written by Leah Brynaert
Tuesday, 01 March 2011 18:51
Most people know the state of Michigan is in financial trouble this fiscal year. Lawmakers around the country are looking for ways to save money, by cutting programs or raising taxes. Most lawmakers favor cutting state funded programs to help keep the budget in line. A lawmaker from West Michigan announced his wish to pull money from Michigan's HIV prevention program. Dave Agema believes the money spent here could be more useful elsewhere in the state.
The Michigan Policy Network is a student-led public education and research program to report and organize news and information about the political process surrounding Michigan state policy issues. It is run out of the Department of Political Science at Michigan State University, with participation by students from the College of Social Science, the College of Communication, and James Madison College.
The thoughts, opinions, and positions represented herein are solely those of the participating students and in no way represent an official position or policy recommendation of Michigan State University.
