Nearly a half-million uninsured Michiganders to get health coverage

The state House today gave final passage to the Healthy Michigan legislation, which will provide Medicaid health care coverage to 470,000 uninsured people in the state.

The House concurred in Senate amendments to House Bill 4714 by a tally of 75-32. It now goes to Gov. Rick Snyder for his signature. Snyder, a strong supporter of Medicaid expansion, has said he will sign the bill.

The Senate did not give the bill so-called "immediate effect," so as it stands, Medicaid expansion likely will go on the books in March or April.

“What a great victory for hard-working Michigan families. The expansion of Medicaid is a veritable lifeline to 75,000 residents age 50 to 64, who, through no fault of their own, are uninsured,” said Jacqueline Morrison, State Director of AARP Michigan.

“We commend the governor and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle who demonstrated on this historic legislation they can work together to improve the lives of nearly half a million people of this state.”

 The measure enables Michigan residents with incomes up to 133% of the poverty level to qualify for health coverage under Medicaid, and establish Michigan-specific reforms to ensure cost-effectiveness and better health outcomes.

AARP Michigan designated the vote on HB 4714 as a Key Vote, which means that the association will inform and educate its 1.4 million Michigan members, and all Michiganders, about legislators’ votes on this bill. 

AARP would like to commend these House members for voting in favor of the bill, which will reduce the number of uninsured people in Michigan by nearly half:

Teresa Abed, D-Grand Ledge; Brian Banks, D-Grosse Pointe Woods; Vicki Barnett, D-Farmington Hills; Jase Bolger, R-Marshall; Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids; Terry Brown, D-Pigeon; Charles Brunner, D-Bay City; Mike Callton, R-Nashville; Phil Cavanagh, D-Redford Township; Paul Clemente, D-Lincoln Park; Tom Cochran, D-Mason; Hugh Crawford, R-Novi; George Darany, D-Dearborn; Cindy Denby, R-Fowlerville; Brandon Dillon, D-Grand Rapids; Gretchen Driskell, D-Saline; Fred Durhal, D-Detroit; Pam Faris, D-Clio; Anthony Forlini, R-Harrison Twp.; Frank Foster, R-Pellston; Douglas Geiss, D-Taylor; Ben Glardon, R-Owosso; Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills; Gail Haines, R-Waterford; Harold Haugh, D-Roseville; Joe Haveman, R-Holland; Rudy Hobbs, D-Lathrup Village; Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon; Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor; Bradford Jacobsen, R-Oxford; Andrew Kandrevas, D-Southgate; Klint Kesto, R-Commerce Twp; John Kivela, D-Marquette; David Knezak, D-Dearborn Heights; Robert Kosowski, D-Westland; Eileen Kowall, R-White Lake; Andrea LaFontaine, R-Richmond; Collene Lamonte, D-Montague; Marilyn Lane, D-Fraser; Bill LaVoy, D-Monroe; Ellen Lipton, D-Huntington Woods; Matt Lori, R-Constantine; Lisa Lyons, R-Alto; Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo; Michael McCready, R-Birmingham; David Nathan, D-Detroit; Stacy Oakes, D-Saginaw; Margaret O'Brien, R-Portage; John Olumba, I-Detroit; Dave Pagel, R-Berrien Springs; Earl Poleski, R-Jackson; Amanda Price, R-Holland; Al Pscholka, R-Stevensville; Sarah Roberts, D-St. Clair Shores; Rose Robinson, D-Detroit; Bill Rogers, R-Brighton; David Rutledge, D-Ypsilanti; Harvey Santana, D-Detroit; Wayne Schmidt, R-Traverse City; Andy Schor, D-Lansing; Kate Segal, D-Battle Creek; Mike Shirkey, R-Clark Lake; Sam Singh, D-East Lansing; Dian Slavens, D-Canton Twp; Charles Smiley, D-Burton; Jim Stamas, R-Midland; Woodrow Stanley, D-Flint; Jon Switalski, D-Warren; Alberta Talabi, D-Detroit; Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit; Jim Townsend, D-Royal Oak; John Walsh, R-Livonia; Henry Yanez, D-Sterling Heights; Ken Yonker, R-Caledonia; Dale Zorn, R-Ida.

 These House members voted against HB 4714:

John Bumstead, R-Newaygo; Kevin Cotter, R-Mt. Pleasant; Kevin Daley, R-Attica; Scott Dianda, D-Calumet; Jeff Farrington, R-Utica; Ray Franz, R-Onekema; Bob Genetski, R-Saugatuck; Ken Goike, R-Ray Twp; Joseph Graves, R-Argentine Twp; Kurt Heise, R-Plymouth; Tom Hooker, R-Byron Center; Martin Howrylak, R-Troy; Nancy Jenkins, R-Clayton; Joel Johnson, R-Clare; Tim Kelly, R-Saginaw; Kenneth Kurtz, R-Coldwater; Dan Lauwers, R-Brockway; Tom Leonard, R-Lansing; Pete Lund, R-Shelby Twp; Peter MacGregor, R-Rockford; Greg MacMaster, R-Kewadin; Ed McBroom, R-Vulcan; Tom McMillin, R-Rochester Hills; Paul Muxlow, R-Brown City; Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton; Rick Outman, R-Six Lakes; Peter Pettalia, R-Presque Isle; Phil Potvin, R-Cadillac; Bruce Rendon, R-Lake City; Pat Somerville, R-New Boston; Robert VerHeulen, R-Walker; Roger Victory, R-Hudsonville.