"This is about caring about one another, eh."
Well, he probably didn't turn on his Upper Peninsula dialect, but he certainly carried his message of support for Medicaid expansion in Michigan to the Yoopers.
Ever since he cut his trade mission to Israel short last month, Gov. Snyder has been pushing the state Senate to pass a bill that would allow the state to offer Medicaid to almost a half a million Michigan citizens.
To recap this story -- the state House passed a Medicaid expansion bill, but the state Senate adjourned for their summer break before taking a vote on it. Republicans say they want to study the issue further.
The governor's office says the expansion would reduce the number of uninsured people in the state by 46%, and it would save the state money -- $206 million in fiscal year 2014 for starters.
More from Gov. Snyder's press release:
Snyder has urged Senate leaders to set a date for a vote and to pass the legislation. "Too many Michigan citizens have inadequate health coverage, and frequently use the emergency room as their primary source of care," Snyder said. "This kind of unmanaged health care has significant human costs, as people typically wait until a crisis to seek help. As a result hospitals in the state face $880 million a year in uncompensated costs, which are passed to individuals and businesses through higher health care premiums. The Healthy Michigan legislation is a compassionate, cost-saving, common sense plan, and I urge the Michigan Senate to pass it quickly."
WNMU's Nicole Walton covered the event and will have more for us later today.
