Michigan’s State Planning Project for the Uninsured

August, 2005

Project Update

As you may recall, the goal of “Michigan’s State Planning Project for the Uninsured” is to develop a plan to extend health insurance to all Michigan citizens.  This is to be accomplished by collecting data on the uninsured and the current health insurance offerings by employers, and then developing realistic and viable options that will lead to health insurance coverage for all Michiganians. The Project is funded by a grant from the Federal Government, and supported by the voluntary efforts of over 150 workgroup members.  Detailed information, which is available on our website, is discussed below.

August has been a very busy month for the Project:

Data Collection Progresses:

·        The first two batches of the Employer Surveys were mailed on Monday, August 15, 2005.  Over the next several weeks, the Michigan Public Health Institute (MPHI) will mail the Employer Survey statewide to a total of 12,000 randomly selected employers.  Through the survey, we will better understand how many employers currently offer health insurance, the types of coverage being offered and the barriers they face in either initiating coverage or continuing to offer this important benefit to their employees and their families.  The information from the survey will help policy makers better determine the initiatives that will assist Michigan businesses to extend coverage to additional workers.  If you do not receive a survey, but still want to be involved in this part of the project, you may participate in an Employer Focus Group by calling Marti Kay Sherry at (800) 540-7762.  Employers completing surveys may also volunteer to take part in one of the Employer Focus Groups.

If you receive an Employer Survey, we encourage you to fill it out and return it using the self-addressed reply envelope.   You may, however, find it more convenient to complete and submit the survey online.  Simply click on: www.crhop.net and look for the Michigan Employer Health Insurance Survey link.  You will need to enter the Identification Number found on your business reply envelope to gain access to the survey.  The survey will only take about 15 minutes to complete and your input will be invaluable to the process.    

·        Another milestone was reached on August 27, 2005 with the completion of data collection activities on the Household Survey.  MPHI is currently developing the report template in preparation for drafting the Household Survey Report.  

Project Website Up and Running:

·        The Project website became active on August 17, 2005.   This website is designed to provide current Project information to the public, as well as to Advisory Council and workgroup members.  You can access the website directly at: www.michigan.gov/spg.  Here you will find an overview of the Project’s goals and governance as well as the schedules, agendas and minutes for Advisory Council and Workgroup meetings.  You will also be find documents and PowerPoint presentations describing numerous health insurance coverage expansion models.

·     The website is not, however, designed only to disseminate project information.  Another primary purpose is to provide you with a means to participate in the Project.  We invite and encourage you to send us emails expressing your thoughts, concerns and perceptions on health insurance in Michigan.  Although it’s unlikely we’ll be able to respond to all of your emails, we will take them into account as part of our public input.

Advisory Council Appointed and Meeting:

·     The Advisory Council for the State Planning Project for the Uninsured has been seated and held their first meeting on August 22^nd.  The Advisory Council will guide the development of workgroup products and make recommendations to the Michigan Department of Community Health regarding health insurance expansion.  For more details on project governance, please visit the Project website at: www.michigan.gov/spg.

·      For your convenience, we’ve listed the current members of the Advisory Council below:

State Planning Project for the Uninsured – Advisory Council

We will continue to keep you informed of significant Project developments in future “Project Updates”.

Sincerely,

Project Staff