Michigan Governor Endorses Medicaid Expansion, While Walker Expresses Reservations

by Kids Forward | February 6, 2013

Home 9 Health Care 9 Michigan Governor Endorses Medicaid Expansion, While Walker Expresses Reservations ( Page 24 )

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder announced Wednesday that he supports using the federal health care reform law to close a large gap in Medicaid coverage in his state. According to an article in the Detroit Free Press: “Snyder gave his unconditional support for an expansion of Medicaid to include about 450,000 more uninsured, low income Michiganders into the program.”At a news conference, Snyder said, “This is very exciting today, we’re moving forward with care for people who need it.”  The press conference was attended by a broad range of advocates for the expansion, including including the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, State Medical Society, Michigan Association of Health Plans, AARP of Michigan, Michigan Primary Care Association,  Michigan Osteopathic Association, and the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards.

A report released in October by the Ann Arbor-based Center for Healthcare Research and Transformation concluded that Michigan would save more than $1 billion in the next ten years as the federal government picks up the cost for health care for those who currently are not covered by insurance. 

Synder becomes the sixth GOP governor to publicly support using the ACA funding to close the gap in Medicaid coverage for low-income adults – joining the governors of Arizona, Ohio, Nevada, New Mexico, and North Dakota.

Governor Walker still hasn’t indicated what he plans to do, but he said on his Facebook page late Tuesday that he has reservations about using the opportunity provided by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to improve BadgerCare, because he believes “long-term funding is highly uncertain.”  See the response to that point by David Riemer of Community Advocates.

In other news today, Walker announced a number of initiatives he plans to include in the budget bill to improve access to mental health care services.  Read more in the Wisconsin Budget Project Blog. 

Jon Peacock

Join us to build a Wisconsin where
every child and family thrives.

Donate Now

Recent

K-12 Education in the Fox Valley

K-12 Education in the Fox Valley

by | May 9, 2023

Every student in the Fox Valley region deserves to receive the educational support and resources needed to help them achieve a bright future. Over the past few years, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant impacts on students in Wisconsin. These challenges were particularly acute for students who were more likely to be struggling prior to the pandemic, like students with lower incomes, students of color, and students who speak English as a second language. With federal pandemic relief funds drying up, state leaders must ensure schools have adequate resources and that students don’t fall even more behind.

Early Care & Education in the Fox Valley

Early Care & Education in the Fox Valley

by | May 9, 2023

Every child deserves a solid foundation in life, regardless of income. Affordable and accessible early care and education ensures that parents can get to work and sets children up for a strong start. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted how child care is critical for children and families and why early care and education providers are an essential part of our local communities and a thriving economy.

Sign up for Emails

Your address helps us identify your legislators and the most relevant messages to send you.