Fantastic news for the 600,000 low-income Michiganders who rely on the program for their health insurance. When the Michigan Legislature submitted their plans for a customized version of Medicaid expansion to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in 2013, there was no guarantee CMS would sign off on either of the waivers to require more “skin in the […]

If you don’t, you’re not alone. And this post is for you. Not everyone is great at meeting deadlines. If that applies to you, raise your hand. Plenty of people are paying attention to the deadline to sign up for 2016 health insurance. According to our friend Charles Gaba at ACA Signups, as of December 17 more than 5 million […]

It doesn’t take long to enroll — in fact, it’s easier than ever. Everyone’s been known to procrastinate. You think you have plenty of time to get something done, and then all of a sudden the deadline is upon you. If you haven’t signed up for 2016 health insurance yet, the time is now. The deadline to get coverage that […]

Lack of insurance coverage means many kids won’t get help for their hearing impairment, which is linked to serious risks. When it comes to advocating for important issues, Barb Byrum is a pro. The Michigan Ingham County Clerk and former state Representative is not shy about speaking out on behalf of people who may not otherwise be heard. So it’s […]

With the deadline to get insurance starting January 1 coming up on December 15 the time to act is now. Before the Affordable Care Act (ACA), LGBT people faced significant discrimination in access to healthcare. That all changed with the passage of the law fondly known as Obamacare, and the uninsured rate for LGBT people has reached an all-time low. […]

Leaders from all faith traditions are spreading the word about ACA open enrollment, especially the weekend of December 5-6. For people of faith, their church, mosque, synagogue or other place of worship is central to their community — a vital resource for guidance and support. That’s one reason organizations like Enroll America work closely with faith leaders to help spread […]

The bills stipulate that all health insurers must make rider policies available to all women. Women’s reproductive health took a giant step backward in Michigan in 2013, when legislation written and lobbied for by Right to Life passed the Michigan Legislature. The law, which took effect in 2014, requires women to buy a separate insurance rider in case they might […]

Help LPJ League win a $25,000 prize for gathering the most donations on December 1st. Giving is always good, and the #GivingTuesday tradition on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving is a great reminder that there are organizations out there that rely on charitable contributions to do their work. There’s no shortage of worthy organizations and I hope folks will give whatever […]

There’s no easier way to let women’s healthcare clinics and abortion providers know they have your support. All of us who support a woman’s right to choose and access a full range of healthcare services without the threat of violence were horrified by the terrorist attack on a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado Springs on Friday. It’s now clear the […]

Without health insurance, this woman would not have received the treatment she needed to survive. In April 2014, Marion N. Seidel was given the news no one wants to hear: “You have cancer.” She had a cancerous tumor on her tonsils that had already started affecting her lymph glands — a potentially dire situation. Regular readers of Eclectablog or those […]

Response to ACLU lawsuit demonstrates, once again, that Catholic hospitals put ideology above patient safety. When you show up at an emergency room in need of urgent medical care, you have a reasonable expectation that you’ll be given the treatment you need — that the staff will do everything they can to save your life and protect your health. In […]