Healthcare
Michigan House Members Call to Impeach Gov. Whitmer
Several Michigan lawmakers are calling for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer‘s impeachment after the announcement of the state’s new COVID-19 restrictions.
Under the new restrictions that are set to start Wednesday, Michigan high schools and colleges must halt in-person classes, indoor dining is no longer allowed at bars and restaurants, entertainment businesses must close for three weeks and gathering sizes also will be tightened.
Whitmer said the orders are issued lawfully under the Michigan Department of Health and Human Service.
Michigan state Rep. Matt Maddock believes otherwise and said that he and a “growing list of Michigan Legislators” will work to impeach Whitmer.
Maddock said fellow Republican state Reps. Daire Rendon, Beau LaFave, Ryan Berman, Shane Hernandez and John Reilly were among the lawmakers who would pursue Whitmer’s impeachment.
The group of lawmakers say they believe Whitmer has crossed the line.
Their statement, which was posted to Facebook, included a list of all the reasons he believed Whitmer deserved to be removed from office, including that she “Ignored court orders. Violated our Constitutional rights. Completely ignored due process and the legislature. Weaponized contract tracing databases to aid democrat campaigns.”
Tiffany Brown, a spokesperson from Whitmer’s office told TV5, responded by saying, “Governor Whitmer doesn’t have any time for partisan politics or people who don’t wear masks, don’t believe in science, and don’t have a plan to fight this virus. Right now, she is focused on saving lives. The governor will continue to work hard for all 10 million Michiganders.”
In order to impeach a sitting governor in Michigan, a simple majority of the 110 member House of Representatives would need to vote to initiate impeachment hearings. Republicans would hold 58 of the 110 house seats as of Jan. 1, 2021. Two-thirds of the 38 member Senate would be needed to convict or remove the governor.
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
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