LANSING – State Representative George Cushingberry Jr. (D-Detroit) today blasted Michigan physicians who do not support the House Democrats' "Health Care Rebate" – a plan that will ensure that 1.7 million Michigan kids, residents with disabilities and seniors have access to life-saving treatments.
"Every Michigan resident deserves to have access to medical treatment, especially our kids and seniors," said Cushingberry, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. "There are many doctors here in Michigan who are angels – they see Medicaid patients every day, knowing they may not get fully reimbursed. These doctors deserve to be treated fairly. If this plan goes into effect, they will."
Under the Health Care Rebate, Michigan will get nearly $3 for every dollar contributed – money that will be targeted to pay the doctors who treat children, seniors and other qualified residents. This will help improve access to health care for Michigan residents by bringing physicians' reimbursement rates for Medicaid more in line with Medicare, increasing the number of Michigan doctors who are willing to treat patients in need. It is estimated that 80 percent of doctors will benefit from the rebate.
"As a doctor for more than 20 years, I know that our state's health care crisis is just as serious as our current economic crisis," said State Representative Jimmy Womack (D-Detroit). "I believe we must give every Michigan resident access to health care and the life-saving treatments they need. However, this plan is not the only solution to our health care challenges and other options to provide funding need to be explored."
Forty-four other states already use rebates for hospitals and other health care facilities to maximize their taxpayers' dollars by capitalizing on the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal matching funds available. Under the House Democrats' plan, Michigan would receive $525 million in federal matching funds and a total of $716 million – all designated for essential health care programs funded through Medicaid, including:
- Vaccinations;
- X-rays and other diagnostic services;
- Prenatal care and check-ups;
- Emergency room care, surgery and other life-saving treatments.
"Some doctors oppose this plan because they're the ones who refuse to see Medicaid patients in the first place," Cushingberry said. "That's simply unacceptable. This plan will help millions of Michigan residents and make sure that doctors who take the time to treat our children and seniors are paid properly. I intend to see this through and make sure we do the right thing."