Senate passes Healthy Michigan bill, 20-18

The state Senate today passed the Healthy Michigan legislation, which will provide health care coverage to 470,000 uninsured people in the state.

House Bill 4714 won passage, 20-18 and now returns to the House for concurrence in amendments. The measure would enable 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 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 Senators for voting in favor of the bill, which will reduce the number of uninsured people in Michigan by nearly half:

Sen. James Ananich, D-Flint; Sen. Glenn Anderson, D-Westland; Sen. Steven Bieda, D-Warren; Sen. Tom Casperson, R-Escanaba; Sen. Vincent Gregory, D-Southfield; Sen. Geoff Hansen, R-Hart; Sen. Morris Hood III, D-Detroit; Sen. Hoon-Yung Hopgood, D-Taylor; Sen. Tupac Hunter, D-Detroit; Sen. Bert Johnson, D-Highland Park; Sen. Roger Kahn, R-Saginaw; Sen. Mike Kowall, R-White Lake; Sen. Jim Marleau, R- Lake Orion; Sen. Randy Richardville, R-Monroe; Sen. Tory Rocca, R-Sterling Heights; Sen. Virgil Smith, D-Detroit; Sen. Howard Walker, R-Traverse City; Sen. Rebekah Warren, D-Ann Arbor; Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, D-East Lansing; Sen. Coleman Young Jr., D- Detroit.

 These Senators voted "no" on HB 4714:

Sen. Darwin Booher, R-Evart; Sen. Jack Brandenburg, R-Harrison Township; Sen. Bruce Caswell, R-Hillsdale; Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton; Sen. Judy Emmons, R-Sheridan; Sen. Mike Green, R-Mayville; Sen. Dave Hildenbrand, R-Lowell; Sen. Joe Hune, R-Hamburg; Sen. Mark Jansen, R-Grand Rapids; Sen. Rick Jones, R-Grand Ledge; Sen. Arlan Meekhof, R-West Olive; Sen. John Moolenaar, R-Midland; Sen. Mike Nofs, R-Battle Creek; Sen. John Pappageorge, R-Troy; Sen. Phil Pavlov, R-St. Clair; Sen. John Proos, R-St. Joseph; Sen. David Robertson, R-Grand Blanc; Sen. Tonya Schuitmaker, R-Lawton.