Healthcare & Human Resources

Health Care

  • Continue to promote and advocate for the Consensus Principles for Health Care Delivery and the Consensus Principles for Behavioral Health Care Delivery.
  • Advocate for “A Business Case for Medicaid Reform.”

One of our longstanding concerns has been the cost shifting by government plans to the private sector, leading to higher costs for employers. “A Business Case for Medicaid Reform” specifically addresses the critical role that Medicaid plays in the cost of health care and the pressure it places on state budgets and private insurance.

The following key points are a summary of the Chamber’s position on Medicaid reform, as weighed against our broader Consensus Principles for Health Care Delivery:

  • Reforms to the Medicaid system must provide suitable coverage to eligible recipients;
  • Restructuring the state’s Medicaid payment methodology in a manner that rewards
    highquality, lowcost health care providers;
  • Correcting EastWest inequities in payment rate methodology;
  • Reducing the costshift of Medicaid to the private sector by addressing the state’s chronic underpayment to providers and highlighting the exceedingly low Medicaid reimbursement rates, especially compared to Medicare;
  • Incorporating individual responsibility, consumerism, cost transparency and incentives
    for healthy behavior in Michigan’s Medicaid program.

Sensible efforts to reform Medicaid are a piece of the puzzle in the overall effort to stem the burgeoning costs of health care. Continued cost increases in the Medicaid program and private health insurance, in addition to cuts in federal Medicaid spending, make state reform essential. Bottom line: Medicaid is costing businesses who want to provide health care more every year.

  • Reduce health care costs for employerprovided health care.

Health care costs continue to escalate. Increased costs are making it more and more difficult for small business to offer coverage to their employees. In addition, many employers have found it necessary to pass along increases to their employees through threetier drug copayments, higher deductibles and paying a higher share of their premiums. Consideration should be given to efficiencies and the examination of waste, overuse and misuse of the system. The Chamber demands quality and accountability in the health care system. The Chamber will support legislative efforts to restrain employer-provided health care cost increases, expanding flexibility, competition and choice in the marketplace.

  • Promote prevention and education.

Continue to promote and utilize the reports of the Obesity Task Force, which were developed to assist employers in making decisions about tackling obesity and wellness issues in the workplace.

Why? True health care cost containment cannot be achieved if the focus is on price controls and government interference in employers’ health care decisions. Legislators should focus their time and energy on implementing marketfriendly and consumerdriven
reforms that eliminate regulations which increase business costs, cost employees more money, and adds to the number of uninsured individuals statewide. The Chamber will monitor and work to advance legislation in alignment with the health care priorities.

Human Resources

  • Prevent legislative initiatives that interfere with employers’ ability to operate free of uncompetitive government regulations and workplace mandates.
  • Oppose efforts to expand unemployment benefits beyond their original intent.
  • Unemployment benefits were created only to be a bridge for employees who lose their job due to no fault of their own and are actively seeking reemployment.
  • Ensure the financial stability and solvency of the state’s unemployment compensation trust fund.
  • Oppose efforts to increase the current level of unemployment insurance benefits (UI).

These efforts will be opposed, unless offset by significant cost savings reforms, such as establishing a oneweek waiting period; strengthening requalification requirements for claimants who voluntarily quit, are discharged for misconduct, etc.; strengthening work requirements; and/or lowering the minimum UI tax rate for employers who have had no benefits charged to their account for five years or more.

  • Retain the current minimum wage.

Oppose efforts to automatically link future minimum wage increases to the rate of inflation or increase the wage for tipped employees.

  • Oppose increases in workers’ compensation benefits.

Create common sense standards for adjudicating questionable claims, such as stress and psychological claims.

  • Oppose any effort to shift the cost of operating the Bureau of Workers’ Disability Compensation to employers.
  • Oppose establishing a new tax, fee or surcharge on workers’ compensation.
  • Oppose wage controls.

Wage controls include local minimum, living and prevailing wage ordinances.

  • Oppose mandatory ergonomic standards.

Support voluntary and cooperative efforts between labor and management to promote safety in the workplace.

  • Support efforts to educate employees working under union contracts of their Beck rights.

Encourage employees to receive a refund of union dues monies spent on political, social or charitable causes to which they may object.

  • Oppose legislation that would deny employees secret ballot elections in the union selection process, eliminate current National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) enforcement provisions, and implement mandatory interest arbitration for collective bargaining agreements.

Support the rights of workers to cast their vote in private, removed from coercion from either unions or employers.


Why? Fair and affordable employment laws, including unemployment and workers’ compensation programs, are more important than ever given today’s economy. The Chamber believes employers should have the flexibility to manage their workforce and employees’ needs—with limited governmental involvement or regulation. Michigan employers pay out billions in unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and workers’ compensation benefits each year. One hundred percent of these benefits are financed by employers; therefore, the Chamber believes any reforms to the UI or workers’ compensation systems should balance the needs of the employees and employers. Further, the Chamber believes employees should have the right to choose freely and anonymously whether to unionize and should be further educated about their rights. The Chamber will monitor and work to advance legislation in alignment with the Human Resources priorities.