healthcare in Michigan: Fighting for medicare for all and Covid-19 Relief

 

Summary

Now more than ever, access to quality affordable healthcare has become the difference maker in maintaining a healthy and vibrant community. COVID-19 has helped to illustrate the need for expanded healthcare access for all Michiganders, regardless of income level. In doing so, the virus has demonstrated the stark divide between those with the means to purchase quality healthcare, and those forced to face the virus without access to insurance coverage. I propose a series of plans that would eliminate that divide, providing Medicare coverage for all, and ensuring that regardless of income, sex, or race, Michigan residents are treated with compassion and care. These policies would also work to ensure that Michigan remains prepared for pandemics on the scale of COVID-19 in the future.

It’s also incredibly important—particularly in times of crisis—that we hold accountable the pharmaceutical companies that stand to profit from expensive drugs and treatments. With billions of dollars at their disposal, Big Pharma all too often flies under the radar of government oversight. That’s why my plan is designed to ensure Big Pharma acts alongside the state government under clearly defined standards and with the utmost transparency. In addition, I’ll work to hold those companies to account for the last great pandemic—that of opioid abuse—which accounted for over 2000 Michigan deaths in 2018.

Proposals:

  1. Medicare for All

    • The most effective way to bring sweeping and effective change to Michigan healthcare is a Medicare for All like system. Creating a Single Payer system would provide coverage for the 526,500 Michiganders that remained uninsured in 2018, despite healthcare reforms such as Obamacare. Given this gap in coverage, and the yearly rise in insurance premiums, a Medicare for All system would save Michiganders money in the long-term.

    • Instead of paying hefty premiums and deductibles, healthcare costs would be paid for through payroll and business taxes. This would provide coverage to all Michiganders under the age of 65 for all essential health benefits as described within the Affordable Care Act. Private insurers could then provide supplemental plans to those interested, which would cover additional benefits not deemed necessary under the Medicare for All like system.

    • Adopting this system would grant Michigan residents a voice in their healthcare, instead of forcing them to rely on agreements between insurance providers and pharmaceutical companies. By directly negotiating drug costs with manufacturers, the price of necessary treatments would fall dramatically, saving Michigan taxpayers time and money.

  2. COVID-19 Expenses Covered

    • Before we begin the process of providing healthcare coverage to all Michigan residents, it’s important that we recognize the enormous hardship and costs—both in human life and financially—that COVID-19 has had upon our communities. No Michigander should be forced to face financial hardship because of COVID treatment. That’s why, I support emergency legislation to compensate families that have had to pay out-of-pocket for COVID-19 care. While most insurance providers cover treatment and testing for the virus, those individuals without insurance still face the prospect of high medical bills, should they require hospitalization.

    • I propose reimbursement of all COVID-19 related healthcare costs for those individuals not covered under a private insurance plan. My plan would also continue emergency funding for clinics and providers throughout the state, to ensure that free testing is available for all. By continuing to provide free testing and healthcare, we can help prevent a second wave of COVID-19, and prevent the virus from decimating families financially.

  3. Capping Copays

    • While ideally, I believe in eliminating copays altogether through a Medicare for All plan, I also recognize the need for immediate action to curtail the rising costs of life saving drugs and treatments. Michigan families spend over $12 billion a year on prescription drugs. That’s over $1000 per family every single year. The sooner we take action to cut these costs, the sooner Michigan families will see the benefits.

    • I propose a series of bills requiring insurers to limit the copays charged for life savings and necessary medicine and procedures. An example of this legislation was introduced just last year by Rep. Sara Cambensy. In 2019, Rep. Cambensy and 27 other Democrats sponsored HB 4701, legislation designed to cap copays on insulin for diabetics at $100 a month. This is the kind of bold and responsible action that I will support when elected to the Michigan House. It takes care of Michigan families and limits their medical expenditures dramatically.

  4. Women’s Health

    • Caring for and covering the medical needs of Women is a core tenant of my healthcare policy. That’s why my plan includes increased funding for family planning services like Planned Parenthood, as well as guaranteed access to contraceptives. Currently over half a million Michigan women have no access to contraceptives, resulting in nearly 25,000 unintended pregnancies every year, 5000 of which occur in teenagers.

    • By implementing legislation guaranteeing this coverage to all Michigan women, we can greatly reduce intended pregnancies and any associated medical costs. That’s why my Medicare for All plan would label family planning and contraceptive care as essential healthcare benefits—providing this coverage to each and every Michigan resident. In addition, I propose legislation directly increasing the funding allocation to family planning agencies and services that work with families to provide the proper care and resources needed to enter into parenthood.

  5. Opioid Crisis — Care and Accountability

    • Before COVID-19, Michigan faced a different epidemic in the form of the Opioid Crisis. In 2018, out of all overdose related deaths in Michigan, 78 percent included at least one opioid. In the same year, more Michiganders died of opioid overdose than car accidents. This trend has to be stopped, and the companies that market opioids to vulnerable populations need to be held accountable. Fortunately, recent legal developments have made it easier for victims to recover from pharmaceutical companies, which take in billions of dollars in revenue from opioids every year. Last year, Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin agreed to settle a case for $10 to $12 billion in which the plaintiffs alleged that the company was responsible for starting and maintaining the Opioid Crisis.

    • I would pressure the Michigan Attorney General to support legal action against the pharmaceutical companies responsible for the current crisis. I would also support legislation providing funding and resources to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), allowing it to advocate for victims of opioid abuse. This would include additional funding for the Michigan Opioid Task Force, as well as non-profit organizations dedicated to preventing deaths from opioid abuse.

  6. Transparency and Accountability from Big Pharma

    • Demanding transparency and accountability in both prices and practices for pharmaceutical companies is one of the key components to my Medicare for All plan. Through negotiating with these corporations to obtain reasonable drug pricing for Michigan residents, my plan will allow the state to demand transparency from Big Pharma. As a large consumer of prescription drugs and treatments, a Medicare for All state would have a great deal of bargaining power. Using this leverage, we can demand that pharmaceutical companies reveal the bases behind their pricing structures and charge affordable rates for life saving and readily available drugs.

  7. Pandemic Preparedness

    • Simply put, Michigan was not ready for COVID-19. Our state has over 60,000 cases of the virus, a number that continues to rise, with a death toll of nearly 6000. Those are unacceptable numbers, which could have been prevented if the state and the nation had been prepared for a pandemic. Simple actions like stockpiling Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), reducing overcrowding in senior care facilities, and increasing funding to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services will help to ensure that we remain prepared in the event of a second wave of COVID-19 or a new pandemic threat.

    • That’s why I propose legislation that would fund a state stockpile of PPE, to be maintained indefinitely. In addition, Michigan’s nursing and long-term senior care facilities—among the nation’s hardest hit—would be required to maintain their own stockpiles of PPE, paid for by the state. These new requirements would prevent the scramble for PPE and other needed medical supplies should another crisis emerge.