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 Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health
Friday Notes
If you have information or announcements that you would like to have included in the next issue forward them to MCMCH.
February 25, 2011
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US Senate to Consider Continuing Resolution, Early Childhood Programs in Trouble
Next week, Congress will return to Washington, and Senators will take up their version of a continuing resolution that will fund government programs for the remainder of this fiscal year. The House approved its bill last weekend, cementing its proposal for deep cuts in services to children and families, including a $50 million cut to the Title V Maternal & Child Health Block Grant and a cut to Head Start/Early Head Start by $1.1 billion below funding levels for 2010 appropriations. In addition, the bill does not continue the funds provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for either Head Start/EHS or child care. As a result, as many as 368,000 children could lose child care, Head Start, or Early Head Start services. This number includes at least 50,000 babies in Early Head Start.
Michigan's delegation followed the split along party lines for the vote with Representatives Benishek, Huizenga, Amash, Camp, Upton, Walberg, Rogers, Miller and McCotter voting for passage and Representatives Kildee, Levin, Clarke, Conyers and Dingell voting against (Rep. Gary Peters did not vote).
With the current continuing resolution set to expire on March 4, we need to continue working to ensure that these programs are funded. Contact Michigan Senators Carl Levin and Debbie Stabenow and urge them to take a stand for children and fund Head Start, Early Head Start, and child care, so no children lose their opportunity to fulfill their potential.
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More Details on DCH Budget Cuts Presented
Department of Community Health Director Olga Dazzo presented to a joint meeting of the House and Senate Appropriations Subcommittees on the Department of Community Health this week, providing more details on Governor Snyder's budget proposal. She stressed the commitment made to maintain Medicaid rates and eligibility in the budget while cautioning that if the proposed 1 percent claims tax on all health insurers did not pass that this item would have to be revisited. Some of the proposed cuts detailed in the budget presentation include:
- a 40 cut to Medicaid graduate medical payments, a move that would save the state $67.3 million ($22.8 million general fund). Additionally, the budget would increase primary care graduate medical education by 15 percent by pulling money out of the regular graduate medical education pool, making the cut to regular GME programs effectively $70.1 million;
- a 10 percent cut to the Healthy Michigan Fund would come from cuts specifically to the pregnancy prevention, tobacco prevention and cancer prevention lines;
- a 5 percent reduction to local public health department essential services, a $1.7 million general fund savings;
- a 3 percent cut to Community Mental Health non-Medicaid
Governor Snyder also recommends the implementation of managed care for children with Medicaid enrolled in Children's Special Health Care Services to save $3.7 million general fund. Director Dazzo also said the state will save $500,000 in general funds from the implementation of federal health care reform because individuals in the CSHCS program will gain, or most likely retain, private insurance coverage. Director Dazzo and DCH Budget Director Nick Lyon explained to legislators that in addition to the two health "dashboard" measures of obesity and infant mortality, metrics would be used to demonstrate transitional performance for the DCH budget. Several of the metrics reflect maternal and child health including number of teen births, percentage of women in the WIC program who breast feed, percentage of children 19-35 months who receive all recommended vaccines and, a new measure, the number of primary care physicians who measure and record BMI for children in the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR). ____________________________________________________________________________________
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Contributors to this Issue
AHIP HI-Wire
Gongwer News Service
HealthDay
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Quick Links . . .
Early Birth Risky, Even With Fully Developed Lungs: Study
Even if their lungs are mature, babies delivered at 36 to 38 weeks are at significantly increased risk for respiratory and other health problems, new research indicates.
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Kids Growing Up on Farms Less Likely to Have Asthma
In a European study that echoes the findings of other scientists, researchers have found that children who grow up on farms are less likely to develop childhood asthma.
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Stress Hormone Linked to PTSD Symptoms in Women
Women, but not men, with post-traumatic stress disorder have high blood levels of a stress-related hormone, new research shows.
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Dermatitis May Be More Cause Than Effect of Food Allergies
One of the most common forms of eczema, the chronic inflammatory skin disease, may actually precede the onset of food allergies, rather than be the product of existing allergies, new research suggests.
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New Eye Treatment May Save Preemies' Sight
A new study holds potentially good news for preterm infants who develop an eye condition that may cause blindness: An inexpensive drug appears to do a better job of treating the condition than the existing therapy.
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Save the Date: 2011 Designing Healthy Livable Communities Conference
The 2011 Designing Healthy Livable Communities Conference will be June 6-7 at the Lansing Center and feature national
and state experts to address how the Power of Partnerships can enhance the collaborative efforts of communities and policy makers to create and maintain healthy Michigan communities. Learn more here.
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Order your 2011-12 Watch Me Grow Calendars! This 24-month calendar highlights a different program each month - offering both program information and contact information. Activities and tips for parents are also offered throughout the calendar providing information on health, safety, nutrition, and parenting. The best part is that these calendars are $1 each. Visit the website for complete information and order form.
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The Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health is made up of
member organizations who share a commitment to the health of
Michigan's women, children and families.
To learn more go to http://www.mcmch.org or email info@mcmch.org.
Amy Zaagman - Executive Director - azaagman@mcmch.org
Jennifer Gorchow - Communications Manager - jgorchow@mcmch.org
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