LANSING – House Democrats today unveiled the "Health Care Rebate" to ensure that 1.7 million Michigan kids,
residents with disabilities and seniors have access to life-saving treatments.
"The Health Care Rebate will help ensure that every child and senior in Michigan has access to vaccinations, x-rays
and other life-saving treatments," said House Speaker Andy Dillon
(D-Redford Twp.). "This cost-effective program will reward physicians who provide medical care for nearly 2 million of
our seniors and kids, increase access to the preventive and emergency care that they need and reduce the financial
burden on the state."
The Health Care Rebate expands the highly successful federal Quality Assurance Assessment Program (QAAP) that
Michigan's hospitals and nursing homes already participate in. Under the Michigan Health Care Rebate, Michigan would
get a return of nearly $3 for every dollar contributed – targeted for health care for children, seniors and
residents with disabilities.
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. Forty-four other states already use similar rebates to maximize
their taxpayers' dollars by capitalizing on the hundreds of millions of dollars in federal matching funds available.
The Health Care Rebate would ensure that kids and seniors can receive:
- Vaccinations;
- X-rays and other diagnostic services;
- Prenatal care and check-ups;
- Emergency room care, surgery and other life-saving treatments.
The Health Care Rebate will improve access to health care by bringing reimbursement rates 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.
"Making sure that our seniors, children, and residents with disabilities have access to health care must be a
priority for us as a state," said State Representative Gary
McDowell (D-Rudyard). "The Health Care Rebate reforms Michigan's health care system by maximizing taxpayer
resources to bring hundreds of millions of federal dollars back home to provide our kids and seniors with the medical
care they need."