Proposal Would Protect Michigan Jobs and
Improve State’s Health Status by Reducing Smoking
This statement is from Spencer Johnson,
president of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Johnson comments
on today’s proposal by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to increase the state’s
cigarette tax to help restore critically needed funding to state health
care programs, which have been cut by more than $505 million in recent
years.
“The
investment proposed by Gov. Granholm will protect thousands of Michigan
health care jobs, boost federal funding to Michigan, assure quality care
for thousands of children and families, and improve the state’s health
status by reducing smoking, all at the same time. Last year and this year,
the governor and legislature have taken positive steps to make health care
the state budget priority it must be. Protecting health care protects
Michigan jobs and the state’s largest employer; improves Michigan’s
dubious status as a donor state that pays more federal taxes than it
receives in federal benefit; and protects access to affordable care for
all Michigan businesses and citizens, especially the poor, disabled and
children.”
Michigan Health Care Facts
- Health care is
Michigan’s largest employer with 466,000 jobs — 66 percent more than the
auto industry. Health care is the largest source of jobs in dozens of
Michigan counties and cities.
- Michigan improves its
status as a donor state by supporting health care. For every $1 Michigan
spends on health care, the federal government sends Michigan $1.24.
- In recent years,
employer and employee health care costs have skyrocketed in part because
state government has not paid its fair share for health care
- Today, 1.3 million
Michigan citizens — a record number due to unemployment — are eligible
for health care via Medicaid, 19 percent more than in 1999. Yet since
1998, state funding for health care has been slashed more than $505
million, seriously threatening the health care safety net for millions
of Michigan children and families.
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