News, Culture and NPR for Central & Northern Michigan
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
91.7FM Alpena and WCML-TV Channel 6 Alpena are off the air. Click here to learn more.

Snyder: “Lives have been saved” because of Healthy Michigan, as House Republicans introduce bill to

Flickr User Andrew Malone https://flic.kr/p/4unt5o

  

Republicans in Lansing are trying to roll back the state’s Medicaid expansion – but their legislation may be dead on arrival.

 

Governor Rick Snyder has been an advocate for the Healthy Michigan Medicaid expansion at home and in Washington, D.C.

But some Republicans in the state House want to close the expansion to all new hires beginning October 1st. A bill is currently waiting for a committee hearing.

Snyder says they should pay attention to what’s going on in DC with the Affordable Care Act and manage the program accordingly. But -

“People have coverage, lives have been saved, because of Healthy Michigan and we should be proud of that.”

But Snyder says Healthy Michigan has been working well in the state.

“The enrollment’s been relatively stable. And one of the big issues is what’s happening in Washington. So generally I would say we need to be paying careful attention and not just passive about what’s going on in Washington. Let’s talk about the benefits that we’ve seen.”

Speaker of the House Tom Leonard says he supports the concept of the new legislation.

“Essentially ensure that this Medicaid expansion that we have right now would not bankrupt our state.”

The bills would prevent the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services from accepting new enrollees to the Medicaid expansion, beginning October 1st. The legislation is currently waiting for a committee hearing.