Medicaid Expansion is the Right Thing to Do

As a longtime resident of southeast Michigan and small business owner, I strongly believe Medicaid expansion is the right thing to do for Michigan. In my roles as a board chair of St. Mary Mercy Hospital and board member of Saint Joseph Mercy Health System, I know first-hand about patients without insurance. Without insurance, the care a person receives is at best fragmented, and in the worst case, non-existent as an individual goes without necessary care.

Citizens who receive the healthcare they need are healthier, have an improved quality of life, and contribute more to the economy. The expansion of Medicaid will provide health insurance to 450,000 individuals who currently do not have insurance. With insurance coverage, these individuals will receive access to primary care physicians, preventative care, and routine checkups, resulting in improved health status and higher quality of life.

Without Medicaid expansion, Michigan will continue to see high numbers of uninsured people seeking uncompensated care, the cost of which is shifted to businesses (businessmen look at the health insurance bill) as well as to the insured (all of us have seen our deductibles, copays and our share of the health insurance premium rise rapidly.) So who is paying more now? We are all paying for this right now.

Governor Synder has proposed an innovative way of paying for this expansion. We should be looking at these innovative solutions.

Medicaid expansion is strongly supported by business groups, employers, consumer groups, physicians, hospitals, and health plans because it is a sound fiscal decision that saves money and saves lives.

I encourage you to support Medicaid expansion in Michigan by contacting your state policy maker to let them know you support this policy. Saint Joseph Mercy Health System is a member of Trinity Health.

To learn more, visit Trinity Health’s take action page: trinity-health.org/advocacy.

David Parr, Board Member, Saint Joseph Mercy Health System