DETROIT – Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer directed state officials Thursday to assess the potential impact of possible federal Medicaid cuts that could affect healthcare access for Michigan residents.
The executive directive requires the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to analyze the effects of an $880 billion reduction proposed in the U.S. House Republican budget plan.
“We’re gonna send a clear message to anyone trying to trade your health care for someone else’s tax cut: Medicaid is not for sale,” Whitmer said during the directive signing at Corewell Health’s Royal Oak campus.
2.6 million people rely on Medicaid in Michigan, according to MDHHS.
Democratic Representatives Debbie Dingell and Haley Stevens joined Whitmer at the signing and expressed their concerns about the future of Medicaid.
“Children’s Hospital in Detroit? 75 percent of the children there are covered by Medicaid. What will those children do if they don’t have coverage,” Dingell said.
Dr. Dan Carrey, the president of Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, emphasized Medicaid’s importance to healthcare delivery.
“These proposed reductions would put enormous strain on our patients, hospitals, and health systems, many of which are already operating under tremendous pressure as we face rising pharmaceutical costs and below-average reimbursement by insurers here in Southeastern Michigan,” he said.
A spokesperson for Republican Congressman John James defended the party’s position, stating that “Republicans are going to protect Medicaid for those who need it.”
The spokesperson referenced a previous tweet by James accusing Democrats of “sowing fear and mass hysteria/confusion.”
