Great Lakes Wire

The Michigan Legislature has passed a state budget that emphasizes healthcare funding and safeguards access to essential healthcare services across the state's communities. The fiscal year 2025 state budget, along with the fiscal year 2024 supplemental proposals, maintains funding pools that support rural and critical access hospitals, obstetrical services, the Healthy Michigan Plan, and Michigan’s Medicaid populations. These pools are crucial for maintaining access to care for underserved populations throughout Michigan.

Additionally, the budget introduces new funding to support peer recovery coaches in hospitals to enhance substance use disorder services. These trained individuals provide advanced peer recovery support services and have been shown to help patients overcome obstacles in their substance use disorder recovery. With this initiative, Michigan aligns itself with more than 38 other states that support this model of care provision.

Brian Peters, CEO of the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, stated: "We look forward to Gov. Whitmer signing this budget, which protects access to care and ensures hospitals can continue to advance the health of individuals and communities."