This Democrat knows first-hand that getting the right care at the right time can be life-saving. When Deb Havens entered the race in Michigan’s 28th State Senate District, healthcare access wasn’t at the top of her issues list. The former educator was heavily focused on safeguarding the public school system and everything that once made Michigan the envy of other […]

It’s not just good for the state budget — it’s good for the health of current and former prisoners, which may help keep them from returning to prison. I wrote more than a year ago about the benefits Medicaid expansion would bring to Michigan, including a boost to the health of Michigan’s citizens and its economy, with $1 billion in […]

We need to talk about mental illness until no one is afraid to ask for help. As the world mourns the loss of Robin Williams, there are two things we must remember. The first is the light he shared with us, bringing us laughter and genius and inspiration that will outlive us all. The second is that depression is an […]

One 27-year-old with multiple part-time jobs on how important — and easy — it is to get health insurance. With apologies to James Brown, Marcus Laban may be the hardest-working man in show business. He works part-time for a casting director, directs high school plays on a seasonal basis and just ended a tour with the Michigan Shakespeare Festival. To […]

Michigan Representative Adam F. Zemke has introduced a bill to prohibit the harmful practice and protect LGBT youth. Imagine being told every day during adolescence that there was something terribly wrong with you, and that you’d never be loved or happy until you changed it — even though it wasn’t something within your power to change. That’s exactly what happens […]

Advocates are working to get the same services covered for trans men and women that are covered for everyone else. Jay Maddock has known he was a man for most of his life, even though that’s not the body he was born with. At age five, he told his dad he wanted to be a man, and was fortunate to […]

Bills would undo the law that requires women to buy extra insurance for miscarriages and abortions, even in cases of rape or incest. See update below. In a decisive move, Democratic State Representative Sarah Roberts and State Senator Gretchen Whitmer introduced bills on Monday that would repeal a controversial law that forces women to buy additional health insurance coverage for […]

Getting health insurance turns one woman’s diagnosis from terminal to hopeful. A cancer diagnosis is terrifying enough. The only thing that’s worse? Knowing you don’t have insurance and can’t possibly afford to pay for treatment. Marion N. Seidel has been uninsured since she changed jobs seven years ago. She’s worked the same job ever since, but could never afford her […]

The Affordable Care Act is saving one Michigan couple big money — and may just be saving a life. Charles Barnett was as “healthy as a horse” until late 2012, says his wife, Linda. That’s when he discovered a swollen lump in a gland. As it turns out, Charles had a stage 4 tumor under the floor of his mouth […]

Enjoy a great evening on June 20 to benefit a great organization. MICHUHCAN has been championing health care justice in Michigan since long before the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became law. There’s still plenty of work to be done, and MICHUHCAN needs your support. Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network (MICHUHCAN) is a state-wide network that promotes comprehensive health care […]

Cost savings and the newly insured show how the ACA is changing people’s lives. If you want to see the Affordable Care Act (ACA) at work, stand behind a pharmacy counter. That’s what Desirae Clayborn does, and she’s seen nothing but positive experiences. Clayborn is a pharmacy technician and is studying to be a pharmacist. She admits that when the […]