government
Mich. creates health reform panel as Texas governor vows repeal
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted April 19, 2010
Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has taken her state's first step toward implementing the national health reform law enacted in March. On April 8, Granholm issued an executive order creating a Health Insurance Reform Coordinating Council, which will advise the governor's office and the Michigan Dept. of Community Health on implementing a health insurance exchange in the state, among other responsibilities.
"After waging a long and hard fight for this historic legislation, we want to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help citizens benefit under the new law," Granholm said.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, however, said the same day that the fight is not over. Texas can't afford the $26 billion in additional spending required by the law's Medicaid expansion and other provisions, Perry said. The expansion would double Texas' Medicaid population. "Despite that increased cost to our taxpayers, there will be no improvement to either the cost of health care or its quality," Perry said.
Granholm's executive order is available online (link).
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2010/04/19/gvbf0419.htm.
