LANSING — Today, the House Appropriations Committee voted out legislation that could potentially rob hundreds of thousands of Michiganders of their health care through the Healthy Michigan plan. In response, State Rep. Henry Yanez (D-Sterling Heights), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, voted no on the bill and issued the following statement:
“The reality is that most Medicaid recipients do work, while others may be unable to find work because of age discrimination and other factors. Stripping working families of their health care because an employer cuts their hours, or because they are laid off is more than just bad public policy — it’s immoral. When uninsured taxpayers are forced to use the emergency room for medical care, it increases the premium costs for those of us who have health insurance. If someone can’t work because they are ill, they cannot be productive and pay their fair share of taxes. This increases costs for taxpayers who foot the bill for public goods, such as roads. Working families should never have their health care taken away, or live under the threat of losing everything because they get sick. I will continue the fight to make sure this bill never becomes law.”