Gov. Rick Snyder is concerned about what a Republican plan to replace the Affordable Care Act will mean for tens of thousands of Michiganders on Medicaid.
Today, U.S. Senate Republicans issued a revised version of their health care bill. The changes include a penalty for people who let their insurance lapse.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released his initial measure last week. He’s hoping to push the measure through the Senate by the end of this week, but some Republicans are rebelling.
Gov. Snyder is focused on how the proposal would affect the Healthy Michigan program.
Under the Affordable Care Act, Michigan’s Medicaid program expanded. But the Republican plan would roll back that expansion.
The governor says his office is still reviewing the American Health Care Act.
“I would say I have serious concerns with what’s in the Senate bill, as I did with the House,” Snyder told reporters today in Mt. Pleasant. “I’m not sure it’s a good outcome for Michigan at this point in time.”
The nation’s doctors are also expressing concerns about the American Health Care Act.
The American Medical Association sent a letter Monday to Senate leaders saying the draft legislation violates the medical oath to "first, do no harm."
The letter says the Republican plan is likely to lead to higher costs and greater difficulty in affording care for low- and middle-income patients.
The doctors' group says the Senate bill's Medicaid payment formulas threaten to "limit states' ability to address the health care needs of their most vulnerable citizens" and won't keep up with new medical innovations and epidemics such as the opioid addiction crisis.
The AMA has about a quarter-million members.
