Senate Dems move ahead on bills establishing a Michigan exchange for health and dental insurance

A package of bills to create a Michigan-specific insurance exchange will return to the state Senate floor following a meeting of the Senate Health Policy Committee on Wednesday. 

The committee voted along party lines — with Democrats in support — to recommend Senate Bills 973 through 978 pass through the full chamber.

If the bills pass through the Democratic-led Senate, the Republican-led House and receive the governor’s signature, they would establish a state-based market for health and dental insurance.

This insurance exchange would be governed by the director of the Department of Insurance and Financial Services, the director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and 10 other members, including four members appointed by the governor, selected from lists of candidates submitted by the majority and minority leaders of the state Senate, the Michigan House speaker and the House minority leader.

While testifying on the bills during the committee’s previous meeting, Chair Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores) said the shift would allow the state to ensure more individuals are covered. By harnessing the revenue generated by the exchange market, the state can perform outreach in underinsured communities, he said.

Exchange employees would also be able to direct individuals who do not qualify for Medicaid to affordable options, and ensure those who qualify for Medicaid are enrolled, Hertel said.

“By making this change, we can further support our residents’ ability to get insurance that works for them, and we can save money as a state by doing so,” Hertel said.

The package is one piece of the Senate Democrats’ agenda aimed at lowering health costs, with Sen. Darrin Camilleri (D-Trenton) and Sen. Chedrick Greene (D-Saginaw) putting forth another piece Wednesday morning. 

Camilleri and Greene’s Senate Bills 1032–1034 would eliminate all deductibles, copayments and coinsurance requirements for EpiPens, prescription inhalers and insulin.

“Michigan is drawing a clear line in the sand: if you pay for insurance, you should never be forced to ration your medication just to breathe, manage diabetes, or survive a severe allergic reaction,” Camilleri said in a statement. “These life-saving medications need to be covered.”