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Dear Friend,??

Yesterday was a big day for protecting health care in Michigan.

Since I took office, ensuring every Michigander has access to quality, affordable health care has been one of my top priorities. When I was in the Michigan Legislature, I worked across the aisle to establish the Healthy Michigan Plan, which expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The plan now covers over 1 million Michiganders.

Yesterday, I signed a package of bipartisan legislation to put key, cost-saving parts of the ACA into Michigan state law. Also yesterday, I signed bipartisan Filter First bills to protect children in Michigan?s childcare centers and schools by requiring the installation of water filters to ensure access to safe drinking water and reduce pollution and contamination.

A safe, healthy Michigan is a prosperous Michigan. Let?s keep working together to move our state forward.

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*Protecting the ACA*

Every Michigander deserves quality, affordable health care.

That's why I signed bipartisan legislation codifying parts of the ACA into Michigan state law. You might be wondering why, and the truth is that key provisions that protect Michiganders? health and lower health care costs are hanging by a legal thread.

Earlier this year, a federal judge in Texas struck down a key ACA provision, jeopardizing vital preventative services like cancer screenings. That decision has been stayed pending appeal, but it shows just how precarious federal protections of our rights and health can be. In April, I proactively directed state departments to take steps to secure Michiganders' protections from federal changes. This legislation fortifies our healthcare access, making it more resilient against federal or Supreme Court attempts to roll back the ACA"."

Health care

The bills I signed ensure that state law protects people with pre-existing conditions from being discriminated against and charged more for having cancer or being pregnant, allows kids to stay on their parent?s insurance until they turn 26, and guarantees essential services in all health insurance plans. These bills also ban discrimination in health coverage on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity and require coverage for preventative services that can catch health problems before they become worse.

Before the ACA, millions of Michiganders went without affordable care or were denied access to health insurance due to pre-existing conditions. Since the ACA, Michigan has increased access to quality coverage, including access to lifesaving preventative care, and saved families money. We will not go back.

I am proud that this legislation will put the cost-saving provisions of the ACA into Michigan state law and protect health care for millions of Michiganders.??

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*Ensuring Clean Drinking Water in Schools and Childcare Centers*

Yesterday, I was also proud to sign the bipartisan Filter First bills to protect children in Michigan by requiring the installation of water filters in childcare centers and schools to prevent lead contamination.

Every parent wants to make sure their kids are healthy, and these bills ensure that our kids have safe and clean drinking water when they sip from the drinking fountain.

With the leadership of my partners in the legislature, Rep. Ranjeev Puri (D ? Canton), Rep. Cynthia Neeley (D ? Flint), Rep. Curt VanderWall (R ? Grand Rapids) and Sen. Sylvia Santana (D ? Detroit) and Sen. John Cherry (D ? Flint), this legislation will require schools and childcare centers to install filtered faucets, develop a drinking water management plan, and conduct routine sampling and testing to ensure safe and accessible drinking water for children.

In Michigan, we have seen the devastating and long-lasting impact of lead exposure, and we are committed to making sure no child has to suffer through this again. That?s why we?ve enforced the strongest lead and copper rule in the country, invested billions of dollars into water facilities, and helped communities replace lead service lines and rebuild their water infrastructure.

This is a big step forward in protecting our children?s health and ensuring that they have access to safe and clean drinking water. By taking these proactive measures, we are creating a safer and healthier environment for our children to grow and thrive.

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Every Michigander deserves access to high quality, affordable health care, and safe, healthy places to live, work, go to school, and play. I will continue to do everything in our power to help keep you and your family healthy, happy, and strong.

We are on the way to a healthier and stronger Michigan and together, we will help anyone ?Make it in Michigan?.

Sincerely,

sig

Gretchen Whitmer

Governor








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