May 5, 2006

LANSING – In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today highlighted the need to cover uninsured citizens in Michigan and the steps being taken to provide affordable health care to every citizen in the state.  Her address comes at the close of “Cover the Uninsured Week,” a nationwide effort to raise awareness about the cost of an estimated 46 million Americans who lack basic health coverage.
 
“Nothing is more important to Michigan’s citizens or to Michigan’s economy than improving access to affordable health care,” Granholm said.  “It’s a moral issue for our families, it’s a competitiveness issue for our businesses, and as Governor, it’s an issue that I’m going to continue to fight for on behalf of all our citizens.”
 
With the cost of health care increasing by 10 percent a year, it is a moral imperative, and an economic imperative, to cover Michigan’s uninsured.  That is why Governor Granholm has made expanding affordable health care to every citizen part of her comprehensive economic plan.
 
In her 2006 State of the State Address, Granholm announced the Michigan First Health Care Plan that will cover hundreds of thousands of uninsured Michigan citizens through a new financial partnership with the federal government.  The administration is currently in negotiations with federal officials to get approval for the plan and ensure Michigan has universal access to affordable health insurance.
 
In just three years, the Granholm administration has already extended affordable prescription drug coverage and health care coverage to more than 292,000 people, including 35,000 citizens taking advantage of the MiRX prescription drug discount program.
 
“No American family and no family in Michigan should be forced to beg for medical care,” Granholm said.  “In Michigan, we’re proud to lead the way in the search for innovative and uniquely American solutions to the cost of health care.”

The Governor’s weekly radio address is released each Friday at 10:00 a.m. and may be heard on broadcast stations across the state through an affiliation with the Michigan Association of Broadcasters.  The address will also be available on the Governor’s website on Mondays as a podcast for general distribution to personal MP3 players and home computers

Broadcasters Note: Governor Granholm’s radio address can be accessed through Sunday evening exclusively through the Members Only page of the Michigan Association of Broadcasters website. 

Publishers Note: The text of today’s address is attached.