Subject: What the governor is talking about today
What the Governor’s Talking about Today
Friday, March 26, 2010
 
Governor Says Health Care Reform Will Benefit Michigan
 
In her weekly radio address, the governor today said that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is the single most important reform of America’s health system in decades.
 
“Health care reform will make a positive difference in everyone’s life,” the governor said.  “Everybody will have access to quality, affordable health insurance, and we can finally start getting health care costs under control.  It’s been a long time coming, but health care reform is finally here – and all the people of Michigan and our great nation will benefit.”
 
The governor also saluted Michigan Congressman John Dingell for his role in health care reform.
 
“It was fitting that Congressman John Dingell was seated at President Obama’s side for the signing of the health care reform act,” Granholm said.  “I salute John Dingell for his lifelong fight for health care for all Americans.”
 
The governor also thanked everyone else in the Michigan congressional delegation who fought hard to make health care reform happen.

 
To listen to the radio address, click on the following link:
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/gov/Gov242Full_315777_7.mp3
Key messages:
 
•  Health care reform means that now there will be affordable coverage options for the 1.2 million uninsured people in Michigan and for the 459,000 people in our state who purchase their own individual coverage.
 
•  Young people will be able to remain on their parents’ health insurance until age 26, which is a great benefit to the more than 950,000 young adults in Michigan.
 
•  No longer will health insurance companies be able to cancel people’s coverage if they become sick.
 
•  Beginning later this year, insurance companies will be prohibited from excluding coverage of pre-existing conditions for children, including the 2.3 million children in Michigan.
 
•  Medicare beneficiaries will receive additional assistance in paying for prescription drugs.
 
•  More than 100,000 Michigan small businesses will be eligible to receive tax credits to make health coverage more affordable.
 
•  Slowing the growth rate of health care costs will provide businesses with savings that can be used to hire additional workers.
 
Granholm Joins Three Other Governors in Opposing State Attorneys General Lawsuit
 
Governor Granholm today joined the governors of Colorado, Pennsylvania and Washington in sending a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder opposing the actions of the state attorneys general who have filed a lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
 
“We believe their legal efforts will fail in court, unnecessarily delay the urgent need to get our citizens access to health care and waste our state tax dollars,” the governors wrote.  “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is, in our view, the single most important reform of our health care system in decades.”
 
The four governors offered any assistance they could provide to Attorney General Holder.
 
“We are ready to offer you any help you may need and we will stand by your efforts to protect this most historic improvement of health care for every citizen of this nation,” the governors wrote.
 
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