On Wednesday, October 22, 2003 the Detroit City Council passed a resolution calling on Governor Granholm to establish a commission to study health care financing in the state. The resolution points out that there is probably enough money going into the system to provide health care for all Ò...because of costs, administrative and other, and because of the manner in which the health care delivery system is funded, the money is ineffectively and unwisely spent. ..Ó The resolution was proposed by City Council President Pro Tem Ken Cockrel at the request of the Michigan Universal Health Care Access Network (MichUHCAN).

The Council points that Detroit and the African-American population that lives there bears the brunt of the lack of health care because there are over 180,000 people in Detroit who have no insurance. Detroit has lost hospitals and primary care facilities in the last few years, which is leading to more illness and death. The Detroit City Council declares that it Ò... considers this a matter of top priority.Ó

The resolution follows earlier efforts to have such a commission established. In February of 2003. Gary Benjamin, Staff Attorney for Michigan Legal Services, write the Governor, who had just taken office, pointing out that the amount of money going into our health care system is enough to fund health insurance for all. Other states have done economic studies that have come to the same conclusion for those states. California and Maine have recently acted on just such studies passing legislation that those states hope leads to insurance for all. MichUHCAN endorsed this approach and retiree groups and others have written the Governor in support of such a commission in the last few months. Earlier, in the Spring Council President Pro Tem Ken Cockrel wrote the Governor making the same request. In October, Marjorie Mitchell and Pat McCarthy, of MichUHCAN and UAWCAP, mer with the Governor and her aides requesting that a grant proposal to the Federal Government (a HRSA Planning grant) be written so the money could be used for the purpose of analyzing the financing of the health care system and working out ways to use the finances already going into the system to provide universal coverage.

The verbal response from the Governor has been that such a commission or study will not be done. MichUHCAN calls on all its member organizations to contact the GovernorÕs office in support of this effort. Or use the attached resolution with your own City Council, County Commission, or other local government. Get it adopted and sent to Lansing! If we work together we can win health care for all of us in Michigan!