January 19, 2012 9:00am

Two Important Action Items!

1. Public House Care Policy Committee on SB 693, the creation of a Michigan Health Care Exchange mandated by The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) known as “Obama Care”
2. House vote on H.B 5014: Appropriations- Referenced on Nov. 11th HERE
a. The Senate added $9.8 million from a federal grant to create a state “Obamacare exchange” to administer federal “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” subsidies. Also included is $119 million that is nearly all federal money for incentive payments to health care providers and facilities to adopt state-approved electronic health care record systems.
b. The bill also appropriates the money from a new 1 percent tax on health insurance claims designed to “game” the federal Medicaid system to get higher federal payments to Michigan’s medical welfare system, and additional amounts for related items.

1. The House Health Care Policy Committee will have a public meeting for taking testimony on the passage of SB 693, the creation of a Michigan Health Care Exchange mandated by “Obama Care” : Date: 1/19/2012 Time: 9:00 AM Place: 519 House Office Building, 124 N Capitol Ave Lansing, MI

I have spoken with the House Health Policy Committee Chair, Rep. Gail Haines,(43rd District) in order to obtain the schedule of the Public Meeting. And I want to clear up a misconception from a previous Newsletter in which I stated, “The House. House Health Care Policy Committee has already been holding testimonies preparing for a quick vote when the Bill came over from the Senate”

Chairwomen Haines has corrected that assumption, the Committee process will NOT be a process in preparation for a quick vote but a through and deliberate process that will give all citizens an opportunity for their voice to be heard. Chairwoman Haines strongly urges citizens to attend the public meeting. The consensus in the House currently is to wait until the Supreme Court rules however, Chairwomen Haines, the Committee and those who oppose SB 693 are under tremendous pressure from the Governor to rush the process. Chairwoman Haines needs to hear from YOU the citizen. We need to pack the Committee hearing room!

So mark your calendar! I know this is a work day but it such an important day to have your voice heard that I am going to suggest if feasible that citizens consider taking a 1/2 vacation day to attend this meeting

2. E-mail/Call/Fax your House Rep and tell him/her to vote NO on H.B 5014..NO to funding Obama Care!

To find and contact your House Representative click HERE to locate by zip code

IF YOU CAN NOT ATTEND the House Health Care Policy Public meeting
on January 19, 2012

Only two e-mails need to be sent on January 19th: One to the Health Care Policy Committee Chair, other members and the clerk And one to your House Representative and the Governor Snyder

I have provided (*below)all the e-mails addresses of the House Health Policy Committee Chair, Rep. Gail Haines,and all the members to copy and paste. As always inform the Committee Clerk you wish your e-mail entered into public testimony. You can also check testimony by scrolling down to “Committee Testimony” on the House Health Care Committee site

The Governor’s contact information is also provided

To find and contact your House Representative click HERE to locate by zip code

*I also have included some facts (below) in the event you wish to include those in your e-mail

ONE MORE ITEM...I would greatly appreciate an RSVP to  grassrootsinmi@gmail.com after you have send your e-mails or intend to testify in person. Knowing numbers do matter, thank you!

*CONTACT INFO FOR THE CHAIRWOMEN HAINES, MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE AND THE CLERK
GailHaines@house.mi.gov,MikeCallton@house.mi.gov,paulopsommer@house.mi.gov,
KennethKurtz@house.mi.gov,WayneSchmidt@house.mi.gov,
MikeShirkey@house.mi.gov,ThomasHooker@house.mi.gov,MattHuuki@house.mi.gov,
PaulMuxlow@house.mi.gov,KenYonker@house.mi.gov,
thomasstallworth@house.mi.gov,lesialiss@house.mi.gov,
georgetdarany@house.mi.gov,katesegal@house.mi.gov,
jimmywomack@house.mi.gov,marciahoveywright@house.mi.gov

Malika Abdul-Basir, House Health Care Policy Committee Clerk
517-373-7256
mabdul@house.mi.gov

Governor Contact Info
Governor Rick Snyder
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909
PHONE: (517) 373-3400
PHONE: (517) 335-7858 – Constituent Services
FAX:(517) 335-6863
E-MAIL: Rick.Snyder@michigan.gov

* Supreme Court to hear Obama Care in 2012

A new poll shows that most voters want the Supreme Court to overturn President Obama’s health care law, with opposition and support falling largely along party lines. Overall, voters oppose the law by 48%-40%, according to the Quinnipiac University survey. Democrats support the Obama health care effort by 70%-19%, while Republicans oppose it by 86%-8%.The Quinnipiac survey found independent voters opposed to the law by 45%-38%.

For the Governor… Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Texas Gov. Rick Perry flat-out said “No!” In August Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback ordered that $32 million in PPACA exchange grants be returned, and Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin returned $55 million in April. Florida’s Gov. Rick Scott, has rejected $2 million in federal grants. South Carolina Governor Haley said the federal plan is not the right fit for the state and has declined to accept millions of federal funds to set up a medical insurance exchange and will also let key deadlines pass.

Democrat governor refused the money!
And On Sept, 27, 2011 the AP reported that Arkansas Democrat Governor, Mike Beebe is unlikely to seek a $3.8 million grant to research how to establish a health insurance exchange in Arkansas.

According to National Council of State Legislators, “In response to the federal health reform law, now known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA),…some members of at least 45 state legislatures have proposed legislation to limit, alter or oppose selected state or federal actions.”

As of Sep 04 2011, only sixteen states and Washington D.C. have accepted federal funds thus far, to establish health care exchanges according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

As far as taxpayers…

According to Cato Institute health care policy expert Michael Cannon testified before the Missouri Senate’s Interim Committee on Health Insurance Exchanges on why that state should not create an Obamacare exchange…”to create an exchange is to create a taxpayer-funded lobbying group dedicated to fighting repeal. An exchange’s employees would owe their power and their paychecks to this law. Naturally, they would aid the fight to preserve the law.

Health policy expert John Graham of the Pacific Research Institute wrote on Sept 22, 2011 “State politicians are no longer fooled by the argument that if they do no collaborate to establish state-based exchanges, the federal government will enter their state and do it for them. Recent close reading of the law has debunked this notion. As written, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) has (at least) two clauses that will prevent this from happening …The likelihood of exchanges being up and running by January 2014 is vanishingly close to zero. Indeed, they may not exist at all except in very few states — whether or not President Obama wins re-election.”

The Health Care Exchange IS already taken over by the Feds
1. The federal government controls exchanges.
2. The federal government controls the doctors and other providers that are allowed to participate in an exchange-offered plan.
[States] will surrender [their] 10th amendment sovereignty by establishing an exchange According to Jack McHugh Mackinaw Policy Center.