Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced several appointments to various boards and commissions, showcasing our state’s diverse talent pool. Notable appointments are listed below. The complete list of new appointments is available at the Governor’s Press Releases.

¶Appointments Include:

Child Lead Exposure Elimination Commission:

• Alison Dickson: Reappointed to represent physicians
• Alan G. Vanderberg: Reappointed to represent local government

Michigan Board of Speech Language Pathology:

• Dr. Denise Ludwig: Appointed to represent speech language pathologists (Succeeds Abaries Farhad)

Michigan Board of Licensed Midwifery:

• Angela Wells: Appointed to represent nurse midwives (Succeeds Geradine Simkins)

Michigan Board of Nursing Home Administrators:

• Alethea Nichols-Taylor and LaTosha Agee-Gussman: Appointed to represent the general public
• Dr. Mark DeLano: Appointed to represent licensed physicians
• Daniel Velez: Appointed to represent nursing homes (Succeeds Donald Haney)

Certificate of Need Commission:

• Dr. Amy McKenzie: Reappointed to represent a nonprofit health care corporation operating pursuant to the nonprofit health care corporation reform act and Independents
• Renee Turner-Bailey: Reappointed to represent organized labor unions and Democrats
• Dr. Eric Ferguson: Reappointed to represent physicians and Independents
• Dr. Mark DeLano: Appointed to represent licensed physicians and school of medicine and Democrats (Succeeds Justin Dimmick)
• Daniel Velez: Appointed to represent nursing homes and Independents

Michigan Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee:

• Kassem H. Elhelou and Rachael Prusi: Appointed to represent pharmacists

In the recent Medicaid health plan rebid by Michigan’s Department of Health and Human Services, significant changes have reshaped coverage across the state’s ten regions. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan emerged as the primary beneficiary, expanding its territory across various regions. The rebid, a key part of Governor Whitmer’s 2024-2025 fiscal year budget recommendation, will prioritize equitable, person-centered care for the nearly two million Medicaid beneficiaries. Additionally, revisions to the payment structure include withholding a greater percentage of funds to incentivize improved health outcomes and address social determinants of health.

The rebid resulted in a redistribution of territories among nine health plans, with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan gaining ground in several regions. Notably, McLaren emerged as the sole plan in nine of the ten regions, while Blue Cross now has a presence in seven regions, marking significant shifts in coverage landscape.

At this time, the contracts are not yet secured in place. The new contracts are scheduled to come into effect on October 1 of this year.

The Senate Oversight Committee has reported SB 669 and SB 670, legislation aimed at expanding the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to cover the Legislature and Governor’s office. Both bills received bipartisan and unanimous support from committee members, with only one abstention. If passed, the legislation lists exemptions for sensitive records, such as communication with constituents, internal investigations, and caucus counsel records. Exemptions for the Governor and Lieutenant Governor would also include information regarding appointments and personal safety concerns. Also outlined in the legislation are procedures for appointing FOIA coordinators and handling FOIA appeals.

With the passing of SB 669 and SB 670 out of committee, Michigan is one step closer to improving legislative transparency and accountability within our state government. After nearly a decade of unsuccessful attempts at passing similar legislation, the bills now face deliberation by the entire Senate. This upcoming vote will collectively decide the fate of the bills, representing the latest effort to increase government transparency in Michigan.