Access to Health Care

Action Expected Soon on Oral Chemotherapy Parity
Last month, two committee hearings were held on the oral chemotherapy parity legislation.  Public testimony was heard from both sides of the issue.  A committee vote is expected in late April after the legislature returns from spring break.
In December, the Michigan Senate passed the oral chemo parity legislation, SB 540-541.  The bills passed the Senate unanimously by a 37-0 vote.  The bills ensure cancer patients living in Michigan receive the physician-recommended care needed to fight their disease by eliminating disparities in health insurance coverage between oral and intravenous chemotherapy.
Passing this legislation will represent a significant victory for cancer patients and their families.  ACS will continue to push the House to act quickly on these bills through action alerts and expert testimony. 

Nutrition and Physical Education

Physical and Health Education Poll Released
Our statewide partner coalition, Healthy Kids Healthy Michigan (HKHM), released the results of a new poll that shows overwhelming statewide support for measures in schools that would deal with curbing the state’s childhood obesity trend.  HKHM teamed up with Lansing-based EPIC MRA to gauge Michigan voters support on childhood obesity issues.

Seventy-six percent (67%) of those polled support passing a state law requiring public schools to provide instruction about obesity prevention through required classes in health education and physical education.  Respondents also felt decisions made at the local public school level about nutrition, health education, physical activity and physical education ranked higher than the family doctor for helping children maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Other notable poll results included:

• Voters overwhelmingly supported mandatory physical education and health education in schools, with an avalanche of support consistently above eighty-four percent (84%).
• Ninety-five percent (95%) support students in K-5 having at least 30 minutes of physical education at least two days per week during the entire school year.
• Eighty-six percent (86%) support students in grades 6-8 having 50 hours per year in health education.
• Eighty-four percent (84%) support K-5 students having 15 hours of health education per school year.
• Eighty-seven percent (87%) support 6-8 grade students having a minimum of 45 minutes per day in physical education for at least one semester per year.

Increased state costs to support physical and health education programs in schools did not deter public support, with sixty-five percent (65%) approving increased school requirements even if additional state dollars were needed from other areas of the state budget.

Bills to set minimum requirements for physical and health education in grades k-8, HB 5139-5140, were introduced in November of last year and have been awaiting action from the House Committee on Education. 

Funding the War on Cancer in Michigan
The House and Senate Appropriations subcommittees on the Department of Community Health both passed their versions of the budget in March.

The Governor’s budget allocated $900,000 for Cancer Prevention and Control in one-time funding and $14.9 million in General Fund/General Purpose dollars, representing no change from the current year.  The Governor proposed level funding from the current year for Smoking Prevention of $2.2 million.  Neither the House nor Senate subcommittee altered the recommendations for cancer or tobacco.

Within the overall Healthy Michigan Fund (now known as Health and Wellness Initiatives), the Governor has proposed a few new initiatives or expansions including funding for his 4x4 Wellness Plan which addresses 4 key health behaviors: maintaining a healthy diet, engaging in regular exercise, getting an annual physical, avoiding all tobacco use and 4 key health measures: Body Mass Index, blood pressure, cholesterol level, and blood sugar level – which the House subcommittee rejected.

Once the full appropriations committees vote out the budgets, they will advance to their respective chambers for votes.  As always, there will be changes in all budgets so they will be assigned to conference committees to work out those differences.