IMMEDIATELY contact your state representative AND senator and urge them to oppose any proposal that contains additional Medicaid cuts in the 2007 state budget.

Immediately telephone, send an e-mail or fax a message to your state representative and senator to discuss how additional Medicaid cuts will put Michigan lives at risk and place vital health care jobs in imminent jeopardy.

Every member of the Michigan Legislature

Key Messages & Talking Points, Sample Letter and www.hospitalsact.org.

To coordinate your hospital/health system's advocacy efforts, please contact your Hospitals-ACT Project Coordinator before responding to this alert.

MHA Declares Michigan Health Care in “Code Blue” Crisis
 Contact Your Legislators Immediately!

The MHA is declaring Michigan health care in a Code Blue crisis. As a result, we need you to immediately contact your state representative and senator and the four political leaders of the Legislature.

Code Blue
On April 17, 2007, the Michigan House of Representatives passed, mostly along party lines, a budget-balancing plan for fiscal year 2007, including an estimated $275 million in cuts and accounting changes affecting several state programs.

Under the House Democratic proposal, all Medicaid provider rates would be reduced by 6.25 percent effective June 1, 2007. In total, funding to Michigan hospitals would be cut by $28 million for the remainder of the current fiscal year.

The Senate, led by Republicans, recently passed a budget-balancing plan featuring cuts and accounting changes for fiscal year 2007. Under the Senate-passed plan, Michigan hospitals would face total cuts of $13.4 million for the remainder of the current fiscal year, as a result of rate reductions, increased Hospital Quality Assurance Assessment gainsharing and additional co-pays and deductibles for optional populations.

Both of these actions would have more adverse impacts on the hospital community than the original budget proposal advanced by the governor that sustained Medicaid funding at current levels, with exception of the elimination of the recently established $5 million disproportionate share hospital line item. To date, negotiations between Gov. Granholm and legislative leaders continue on how to resolve the state’s current fiscal year budget shortfall of more than $900 million.

Next Steps
In light of these developments, Michigan hospitals must IMMEDIATELY contact every state lawmaker to:

• Describe the realities that have caused this declaration of Michigan health care’s Code Blue.

• Urge them to take the necessary steps to properly fund health care services to end this emergency.
• Insist they convey your message to their respective political leader.

To locate your state representative and Senator, visit our Legislative Action Center and select My Elected Officials. For instructions on how to use the action center, click here. 

Due to the significance of this issue, MHA members are also urged to directly contact the top four political leaders of the Legislature:

• House Speaker Andy Dillon (D-Redford Township): (517) 373-0857
• House Minority Leader Craig DeRoche (R-Novi): (517) 373-0827
• Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop (R-Rochester): (517) 373-2417
• Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer (D-Battle Creek): (517) 373-2426

The hospital community must generate a groundswell of opposition to any proposal that contains additional health care funding reductions. Click here for Key Messages & Talking Points and click here for a sample legislative letter. Please IMMEDIATELY contact your state representative and senator and encourage them to cease actions that have warranted this Code Blue on Michigan health care services and jobs.

If you have any questions regarding this Action Alert, please contact the MHA’s David Finkbeiner or Lori Latham at (517) 703-8601.