Governor Gretchen Whitmer is pushing back against new limits the Trump administration wants to impose on state Medicaid programs.
Whitmer sent a letterto the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She says a proposed rule would not serve states and patients and would not succeed in its goal of giving states more flexibility.
Whitmer says the plan would actually make it harder for states to set rates based on the services that are most needed.
The result, she says, is fewer doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that would be willing to accept Medicaid patients. Medicaid reimbursements are typically lower than Medicare and private insurance payments.
“The President pledged to protect Medicare and Medicaid, but this is just another example of his Administration’s ongoing effort to gut these life-saving programs,” Gov. Whitmer said in a press release.
The state Department of Health and Human Services says 2.5 million people in Michigan rely on the program for health coverage.
Want to support reporting like this? Consider making a gift to Michigan Radio today.
