NEWS

Counties, advocates push back on DHHS mental health proposal

MAC First Vice President Antoinette Wallace speaks at a Sept. 17 press event on mental health policy as former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow looks on.

Antoinette Wallace, Macomb County commissioner and incoming president of MAC, joined former U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and other mental health advocates this week to push back on the Department of Health and Human Services’ (MDHHS) plan to restructure Michigan’s prepaid inpatient health plan (PIHP) system. The press conference was held the same day as the Walk a Mile Rally at the Capitol, where hundreds gathered to highlight the importance of mental health care in Michigan.

For years, Michigan has relied on 10 PIHPs to manage Medicaid behavioral health dollars regionally, ensuring funds reach community mental health agencies and services close to home. DHHS now proposes to consolidate those regions and put the system out for competitive bid. With language in the Request for Proposal (RFP), current PIHPs would be effectively locked out of competing.

Wallace underscored the risk of repeating mistakes seen elsewhere. “When states like North Carolina and Kansas moved in this direction, we saw access to providers drop and the burden on other public services increase. We cannot allow Michigan to repeat those mistakes,” she said.

Leaders and providers fear the shift will move decision-making further from the communities that know their residents best, pushing more people into emergency rooms and local jails. While all agree the current system needs improvement, dismantling it outright could create bigger problems.

The issue is already in court, but MAC and advocates remain committed to finding solutions that build on the strengths of Michigan’s system. The focus, as Wallace made clear, should be on keeping care public, accountable, and accessible — without risking a costly and disruptive overhaul.

For more information on this issue, contact Jimmy Johnson at johnson@micounties.org.

Counties are in sign-on window for 2 opioid settlements

Two new opioid settlements are now available for county sign-on. An email was sent from the National Opioid Settlement Implementation Administrator, Rubris, outlining the sign-on process and DocuSign instructions for these new opportunities for local funding.

The two new settlements are:

• Purdue and Sackler family – Sign-on open through Sept. 30
• Generic Manufacturers (includes 8 companies) – Sign-on open through Oct. 8

All counties are encouraged to sign on to receive funds from these new settlements.

For any questions on this or general opioid settlement issues, contact MAC’s Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

 

Make sure legislators know your opposition to revenue sharing cuts

Use the QR code to access MAC’s advocacy resources.

MAC continues to urge county leaders to speak out against a fiscal year 2026 budget plan adopted by the Michigan House that would cut county revenue sharing by $34.9 million. This action wipes out the long-overdue progress counties made in FY25 to restore revenue sharing to sustainable levels. (Click here to see the projected effect on your county.)

Please contact your HOUSE and SENATE members by phone or email to share your budgetary realities with them using the talking points below.

(If you are not certain which House or Senate district(s) overlaps your commissioner district, please use our new mapping tool found here. As you zoom in to your community, you will see district lines for the state House, state Senate and your county’s board districts.)

Please contact your legislators today and urge them to:

1. Restore the $34.9 million in county revenue sharing that the House cuts.
2. Recognize that counties cannot meet state-imposed obligations without stable, flexible funding.
3. Address the inequity between constitutionally protected CVT revenue sharing and vulnerable county statutory revenue sharing.

Click here for talking points to use with your lawmakers on the FY26 budget.

Your voices matter. Legislators must hear from county commissioners directly about the real impacts these cuts will have on local services and budgets. MAC appreciates the quick action of some members, such as Branch, Iosco, Keweenaw, Ontonagon and Sanilac, for passing resolutions in opposition to the House revenue sharing cuts.

For more information on MAC’s advocacy, visit the MAC website.

 

New help available on properly spending opioid settlement dollars

With upcoming changes to the Michigan new State-Subdivision Agreement, as part of the Purdue and Sackler family opioid settlement process, it is critical for local governments across Michigan to continue to critically assess each allocation and expenditure.

Changes to the State-Subdivision Agreement will include the ability for counties to seek general guidance from the Michigan Department of Attorney General on use of funds. With the new ability to ask about specific expenditures, local governments are encouraged to reach out to the Michigan Department of Attorney General at ag-opioidlitigation@michigan.gov with any expenditures for which they are uncertain about allowability.

Local governments can also reference the lists of unallowable uses provided by numerous states across the country. (Michigan may see a similar document in the future.)

• California (page 4)
• Indiana (page 4)
• Kansas (page 36)
• Pennsylvania (scroll to items under “Exhibit E”)
• Virginia (bottom of page 1 and 2)

MAC also can assist with helping counties determine alignment with Exhibit E and the legal definition of opioid remediation. For such assistance, contact Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

 

Podcast 83: MAC on educational tour with legislators on how all state dollars are not the same

Frustration remains high in Lansing as state legislators seem little closer to a fiscal year 2026 budget, with only two weeks to start of the budget year.

MAC’s concerns center around the House’s budget plan to ax $35 million in county revenue sharing, said Director of Governmental Affairs Deena Bosworth in the latest episode of Podcast 83.

“They’re meeting. They’re talking, they’re trying to sort out some of the details of it, but we’re still a long way from having it done,” Bosworth noted.

A rising point of confusion in Lansing, especially in House Republican circles, is that their proposed increases in public safety dollars for sheriffs and for more road dollars somehow compensate for revenue sharing dollars.

“That’s the education campaign that we’re on right now with our legislators,” Bosworth explained “Same with the road plan; most counties do not use general fund dollars to pay for the county roads. So, cutting revenue sharing means cutting our general fund budget. The road funding dollars don’t make up for that.”

In the good news segment of this week’s episode, Governmental Affairs Specialist Jimmy Johnson said support for so-called “Maintenance of Effort” (MOE) fees for county medical care facilities looks strong. “A lot of people understand the important work that (medical care facilities) are doing. And the exciting aspect of this as well is that there is an opening, it would appear, where the (House Insurance Committee) chair is open to completely removing the sunset (on MOE fees).”

To watch the full episode, recorded on Sept. 15, click here or on the image above.

 

Whitmer issues directive on COVID-19 vaccine

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive directive this week aimed at keeping COVID-19 vaccines accessible as federal agencies scale back eligibility, raising questions about coverage heading into the colder months.

 

The order directs state departments, including Insurance and Financial Services and Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, to ensure vaccines remain covered under Medicaid and private plans. It also calls for clear guidance to pharmacists, providers and the public so residents know who is eligible and where they can get vaccinated.

 

For counties, the impact is significant. Local public health departments are on the front lines, running clinics, supporting providers, and managing vaccine programs. If insurance coverage narrows, more people will turn to county clinics or safety-net programs like Vaccines for Children and the Michigan Adult Vaccine Program, adding costs and workload locally. By removing barriers and keeping insurers at the table, the state can help counties focus on outreach and service rather than shifting rules.Uncertainty remains as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration continue to adjust vaccine recommendations. Whitmer’s directive adds another layer of state action while federal guidance is still in flux, and its effect on insurance coverage and local distribution isn’t yet clear. What is clear is county health departments will remain central to ensuring residents have access if they choose vaccination this fall and winter.

For more information on this issue, contact Jimmy Johnson at johnson@micounties.org.

 

State briefs MAC, others on juvenile justice reforms adopted in 2024

MAC was among organizations briefed this week on implementation of Michigan’s juvenile justice legislation that took effect Oct. 1, 2024. A major component of this legislation was the increase of the state reimbursement to counties for the Child Care Fund — from 50 percent to 75 percent for community-services for justice-involved youth — funding that MAC played a key role in securing for counties.

MAC’s Samantha Gibson joined representatives from the Michigan Association for Family Court Administrators, Northern Michigan Juvenile Officers Association and Juvenile Justice Association of Michigan, plus prosecutors, probation officers, secure detention facility operators for the session hosted by the state Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

The briefing included an informational session with the National Youth Screening and Assessment Partners (NYSAP). NYSAP and MDHHS are working with local stakeholders to “align practice with legislation, enhance decision-making, and ensure that funding supports effective, research-based practices that reduce system involvement and improve outcomes.”

For more information on this topic, contact Samantha Gibson at gibson@micounties.org. 

 

NACo sets listening sessions on substance use disorder

With the federal government making changes that affect the landscape of resources and strategies used to address substance use disorder at the county level, NACo has set two listening sessions in October that will give an overview of these federal actions to date, and offer an opportunity to explore the impacts of planned and proposed changes to Medicaid, CDC and SAMHSA on the delivery of local programs with fellow county leaders.

To participate in these sessions, RSVP here by Sept. 26.

For assistance on any opioid settlement questions, contact MAC’s Amy Dolinky at dolinky@micounties.org.

 

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