September 15, 2006

LANSING – In her weekly radio address, Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today highlighted the work being done to provide universal access to affordable health care in Michigan, including the two-year anniversary of the MiRx prescription drug discount card, and continued negotiations with federal government to implement the MI First Health Care Plan.
 
“We are acting today to ensure that our citizens have access to affordable health care while investing in the treatments, medications, and technologies that will improve health care tomorrow,” Granholm said.  “It is the right plan for Michigan citizens and the plan I will continue to fight for as governor.”
 
Granholm has set a goal of putting the MiRx in the hands of 50,000 Michigan citizens by the end of this year.  Already, after two years, the MiRx prescription drug discount card is helping 38,000 Michigan citizens afford their prescription medications by providing a cost savings of 20 percent at more than 2,300 pharmacies across Michigan. 
 
Granholm’s MI First Health Care Plan will, for the first time, provide access to affordable health care for all citizens in Michigan.  Negotiations with the federal government are on track to implement the program in April 2007.
 
Granholm is also investing in the companies and research that will improve future health care for Michigan citizens.  Nearly half of the grants awarded in the first round of funding from the 21st Century Jobs Fund went to companies and projects involved in Michigan’s burgeoning life sciences industry.  Grants went to companies like ProNAI Therapeutics in Kalamazoo and researchers at Wayne State University and the Karmanos Canter Institute in Detroit.
 
“These two projects, and dozens of others, are working to improve medical testing and technology, developing new ways to administer medication safely, and identifying new treatments for Alzheimers, arthritis and much more,” Granholm said.  “While they create jobs in the short term, all of these projects are also a long-term investment for our health care industry.”

The Governor’s weekly radio address is released each Friday morning 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.