AARP sends letter to Senators supporting Healthy Michigan bill

AARP Michigan President Thomas Kimble and State Director Jacqueline Morrison sent the following letter to state Senators expressing support for the Healthy Michigan bill, HB 4714:

Dear Senator:

 We are writing on behalf of AARP Michigan to express our support for House Bill 4714, the Healthy Michigan plan.  House Bill 4714 would let Michigan residents with incomes up to 133% of the poverty level qualify for health coverage under Medicaid, and establish Michigan-specific reforms to ensure cost-effectiveness and better health outcomes.

  AARP Michigan is designating the vote on HB 4714 as a Key Vote, which means that we will inform and educate our 1.4 million Michigan members, and all Michiganders, about your vote on this bill. 

 This bill is particularly important to people who are over age 50 but too young for Medicare.   During Michigan’s historic economic recession, many older workers lost their jobs and their employer-sponsored insurance coverage.  Older adults are particularly vulnerable to deterioration in function and health status if they don’t have health coverage, and that increases their need for more costly health care and long term care in the future.  Passage of this bill would provide health care to an estimated 75,000 uninsured Michigan residents between the ages of 50 and 64. 

 House Bill 4714’s Healthy Michigan plan will also allow Michigan to begin to rein in health care costs for the future.  We urge you to vote yes on HB 4714 because it’s the common sense, fiscally responsible thing for our state to do.  We also want to make it clear that we oppose Senate Bill 422 and Senate Bills 459-460.  If you have any questions or if there is further information we can provide, please feel free to contact our Manager of Advocacy, Lisa Dedden Cooper, at 517-267-8923 or lcooper@aarp.org. Thank you for your consideration and your work on this important issue.                    

Sincerely,

Jacqueline Morrison                                                      Thomas E. Kimble

State Director                                                               State President