Dodging the Budget Bullet

For all intents and purpose, it appears that Michigan's frailest citizens are out of harms way for the next 4 months. After reading the legislative update web pages, it appears that Michigan is on it's way to a budget agreement that will not include medicaid payment cuts to health care providers.

But don't get excited. This was just the warning wave before the tsunami....Next year, 2008, Michigan is looking at a much larger deficit, and cuts of some type will have to be made. Not only cuts but some type of revenue generating formula will have to be agreed upon.

The irony for me as a taxpayer, is the lack of vision that our state leadership has; and the lack luster performance that the health care providers did with educating the public about this crisis, the impact it would have on our state, and the citizens we serve. The teachers, educational providers and colleges all did their media campaign loudly. It was so loud that when the agreement was made; education was the forefront of all news articles, and one had to "dig" to find the outcome for the medicaid budget.

We as providers need to heed this as a wake up call for the next round of budget action. If we want to preserve the quality of care we provide; the services to our communities; the livelihood for our staff we must become active. We also must agree on a few talking points that send home the message; we need to be funded adequately. Further, we need to remember that we are the voices for the citizens we serve, and we are doing them great harm if we do not become loud, vocal advocates on their behalf. We need to become the discussion topic at the water coolers, we need to push the agenda of quality of life; quality of care and what it takes to achieve both.

I for one want to stay in Michigan as a citizen, taxpayer and care advocate. I will not however; become a hypocrite and speak about providing good care when the care we are able to provide (due to funding cuts); is less then what I feel our elders deserve. Nor will I speak against tax increases if they are linked to sound, rational public policy that will impact the long term future and growth of our state.

So, get out there and start talking; planning and creating. We need to send a message to Lansing that we have an opportunity on the horizon to create a new and different Michigan; but it will take our voices unified to send a strong message; are you up to the challenge?