We already pay for each other’s health care in the dumbest possible way Republicans are debating right now about which scheme the should use to try to destroy Obamacare before the most compelling benefits of the law and taxes on the rich and corporations kick in on January 1, 2014. Defund or delay. The “defund” people think that Republicans should […]

This is your weekly reminder. Senate Republicans need to hear from you now. As I wrote here last week, Tea Party groups are asking their members to call their Senators every single day, urging them to vote no on Medicaid expansion. Putting aside my curiosity about how these folks have so much spare time (and, if they don’t work, how […]

Truth is stronger than fiction. It just needs to speak louder than the absurd. Obamacare’s opponents will say anything — no matter how ridiculously untrue — in an effort to sabotage the law. Worse yet, plenty of people believe the lies. The scare tactics aren’t going to stop the law from being implemented. But they may prevent people from signing […]

Accept no substitutes. Only the real thing will help uninsured Michiganders and benefit the state. Sure, the Michigan Senate is in recess. But now that Medicaid expansion — and two “alternative” bills — are headed to the Senate floor later this month, now is the time to tell your Senator you want the real thing. This is simple: House Bill […]

Two days of hearings yield a disappointing lack of action. The Senate Government Operations Committee spent two days hearing testimony on Medicaid expansion and debating three possible paths forward. It voted for all three — which means there will be yet more debate and delay on legislation that could make a life-or-death difference for nearly 500,000 Michiganders. The committee did […]

Government Operations Committee to discuss Medicaid expansion on Tues. and Wed. Speak out in support. There are at least half a million reasons to support Medicaid expansion in Michigan: providing healthcare coverage to nearly 500,000 uninsured Michiganders, largely the working poor, plus bringing more jobs and revenue into the state. The only reason to oppose Medicaid expansion? Trying to sabotage […]

The Michigan Nurses Association, Medicaid Expansion Now Coalition and MICHUHCAN invite legislators and the public to an educational forum. Medicaid expansion is still waiting for a vote in the Michigan Senate. And although a Senate workgroup has developed a revised version of the bill approved by the House weeks ago, there’s no guarantee of a swift vote. In fact, there […]

Whether we can say the same for Michigan Senate Republicans remains to be seen. While the Senate workgroup congratulates itself for overhauling the Medicaid expansion bill that already passed the Michigan House weeks ago, nurses are working every day with patients who desperately need help getting healthcare coverage. So desperately, in fact, that some of those patients have died because […]

What do you expect? They spent 10 minutes on the job today. Senate Republicans showed up to work this morning and did absolutely nothing. Although the Detroit Free Press says the Senate Medicaid expansion work group is meeting privately twice a week to “tweak” the bill already passed by an overwhelming majority of the House, they still have nothing to […]

How do you attack a law that’s already responsible for covering millions of Americans, providing more than a billion in rebates from insurance companies and is literally saving kids’ lives? Republicans have two strategies: 1) make things up and 2) sabotage. The most constant effort to sabotage comes from the House GOP who are continually pretending to repeal the law. […]

Obama administration awards $3.8 million to provide enrollment assistance in Michigan. Here’s more proof that Obamacare is right on track — and doing exactly what it should. Last week, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $3,782,688 in grant awards to Michigan health centers. These funds will help the health centers enroll uninsured Michiganders in new health coverage […]