Michigan Health Care Security Campaign (2008)

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Not on Ballot
Image:Stopsign.png
This measure did not
appear on a ballot.

Health Care for Michigan would, if approved, require lawmakers to ensure every resident has "comprehensive and affordable health care coverage through a fair and cost effective financing system."

If passed, Michigan residents would be required to have access to both preventative and primary care. The only other state to pass such a mandate is Massachusetts (2006).

The measure is an initiated constitutional amendment. Its supporters are working to qualify it for the November 2008 ballot in Michigan.

Supporters abandoned their efforts June 27, 2008. They had gathered approximately 133,000 signatures, well short of the 380,000 required by July 7 to make the ballot.[1]


Supporters

MichUHCAN, the coalition sponsoring the initiative, includes AARP, Michigan Labor Groups, religious groups, Gov. Jennifer Granholm, and Lt. Gov. John Cherry.[2]

Frank Houston, deputy director of the campaign committee, said the initiative would push the Michigan Legislature to reform what he called a "broken health care system," but wouldn't require a specific policy. "The purpose of this initiative is to create a little more urgency to this situation," he said.[3]

MichUHCAN is a statewide network working for comprehensive universal health care through education, strategy development and advocacy.[4]

The measure received the endorsement of several organizations representing primary care and family physicians, a statewide nurses union, and medical students on April 21, 2008.[5]

"It's a question that needs to be put out there, whether it goes through or not," Chris Shea, executive director of Cherry Street Health Services in Grand Rapids, which supports the measure, said. "The state needs to do something to address the something like 1 million people in the state who have no health insurance now."[6]

Other supporters include the Green House Universal Health Care group has also pledged its support to the campaign.[7] and Healthcare for Michigan, a coalition of faith, medical, labor and civil rights organizations.[8]

In late April, a coalition of 200 churches joined in supporting the measure. Father Jim Shaver, St. John the Evangelist, said "People deserve, when they have worked hard and are doing as best as they can in this life, to be able to have their medical needs taken care of."[9]

Marjorie Mitchell, a Health Care for Michigan campaign committee member, said the committee wants to pressure the Michigan Legislature to develop a plan, she said. The state's constitution, she said, isn't the place to draft specific legislation.[3]

"We don't have a specific plan that we are promoting," she said. "We are promoting a set of principles which we think makes sense in the health care reform debate for the people of Michigan."[3]

The AARP has pledged $100,000 to fund the initiative.[10]

Michigan's AFL-CIO also officially endorsed the measure during the Presidential primaries, where 2,000 volunteers passed out promotions about the initiative.[11]

Supporters argue that Michigan already spends $60 billion a year on health care—an average of $6,000 per citizen&#8212which could used to provide coverage for everyone.[12]

Kristina Wilfore of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, a national organization that advocates for liberal ballot measures, has written that "progressives should feel good" about the initiative.[13]

Opponents

Business groups and the Chamber of Commerce believe the proposal to be vague and too costly.

The Michigan Chamber of Commerce says the proposal is vague and could take years to define through court fights. "Certainly we feel the goal of the group is laudable," said Wendy Block of the Michigan Chamber of Commerce. "But we have serious questions about what is meant by 'affordable' and 'comprehensive.'"[14]

Attorney General Mike Cox has said that it will have the reverse of the desired effect and skyrocket health care costs. According to Cox, Blue Cross enjoys income tax exempt status, making $75 million in profit last year.[15]


State medical society takes neutral position

The Michigan Medical Society took a neutral position on this ballot measure, as well as on two other initiatives related to health care (the Stem Cell Initiative and the Coalition for Compassionate Care Initiative) at its annual delegates meeting in early May 2008.[16]


Poll results

According to a poll of 200 executives from Southeast Michigan companies and organizations, 46% of respondents would vote "no" on the proposed amendment, 27% would vote "yes," and 27% had no opinion or were undecided. The survey was conducted by John Bailey & Associates Inc. for the Detroit Regional Chamber in preparation for the chamber's upcoming Mackinac Policy Conference.[17]

Still, respondents cited the high cost of health insurance and impact of the uninsured as top health care concerns.[17]

"We're interpreting that to mean that cost is a real concern, but they're not ready to let the government decide what the cost is," said Sarah Hubbard, the chamber's vice president of government relations. The chamber has not taken a stand on the measure.[17]

Former state Rep. John Freeman, who is chairing the Health Care for Michigan campaign, said the poll results show the need for "more education of the chamber members" on the proposal.[17]


Status

Supporters abandoned their efforts June 27, 2008. They had gathered approximately 133,000 signatures, well short of the 380,000 required by July 7 to make the ballot.[1]

See also


External links


Additional reading


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 WWJ-Radio: "Health Care Proposal Won't Be On Nov. Ballot," June 27, 2008
  2. ↑ MichUHCAN Endorsements
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Michigan Daily: "Group wants health care mandate on Nov. ballot," April 15, 2008
  4. ↑ MichUHCAN About Us
  5. ↑ Detroit Free Press: "Mich. doctors, nurses, students back health care ballot proposal," April 22, 2008
  6. ↑ Grand Rapids Press: "Health care ballot backers to pay visit," April 20, 2008
  7. ↑ Green House Health Care
  8. ↑ HealthFirst-Health care petition drive, ABC12 news, Jan. 8, 2008
  9. ↑ WLNS-TV: "Churches Join Fight Against Healthcare Crisis," April 28, 2008
  10. ↑ Petition to ask Michigan voters to pass universal health care, Detroit Free Press, Dec. 19, 2007
  11. ↑ Michigan Labor Mobilizes, Prevents Anti-Union Petition Drive, AFL-CIO, Jan. 16, 2007
  12. ↑ Petition to ask Michigan voters to pass universal health care, Detroit Free Press, Dec. 19, 2007
  13. ↑ Huffington Post, Ballot Initiatives in 2008: Change Vs. More of the Same, June 12, 2008
  14. ↑ Michigan voters could decide health care issue, South Bend Tribune, Dec. 20, 2007
  15. ↑ Michigan Plans Universal Health Coverage; Oppositors Say It Will Jack Up Premiums For The Sick, Elderly, All Headline News, Dec. 19, 2007
  16. ↑ Detroit News: "Medical Society takes 'neutral' position on stem cell ballot initative," May 4, 2008
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Crain's Detroit Business: "Business leery of state-crafted health care," April 21, 2008


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