Michigan Democrats have introduced a package of bills that would enshrine the Affordable Care Act into law. HB 4619-23 and SB 356-58 would maintain protections and coverage requirements from the ACA in Michigan, if the federal law was ever changed. If passed, the bills wouldn't make any changes to current health care systems in Michigan, but would maintain ACA principles if Congress changed the law, or if it was repealed in court.
Representative Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) sponsored one of the bills.
“What this is doing is keeping those protections in place. The intent of this bill package is not to go above and beyond the federal requirements, so it is just merely codifying into Michigan law the federal provisions that we already have in place. Nothing more, nothing less,” she said.
Committees began discussing the package last week.
Representative Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) also introduced one of the House bills.
He said codifying the ACA would protect health care access in Michigan by maintaining essential requirements, such as preventive, maternal, and prenatal health care.
“So many Michiganders are affected by, and rely on (these measures) every single day, and we want to make sure that’s protected,” Koleszar said.
Both Koleszar and Rogers expect there will be some bipartisan support.
“I do believe we're going to get some bipartisan support. My bill in particular did have a Republican co-sponsor. And I do believe there are others in the Republican caucus that would like to support these measures because health care is not partisan in terms of who needs it,” Koleszar said.
Rogers said she hopes the bills will be voted on in the next few weeks.
