In a Feb. 11 budget proposal, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer laid out how she plans to secure $780.4 million to stabilize Medicaid.
Ms. Whitmer is aiming to bring in $232 million from tobacco, $73.6 million from vaping and non-tobacco nicotine products, $282 million from digital advertising spanning media platforms, and $192.8 million from online gaming and sports betting through tax policy updates. She also identified $150 million in potential savings to ensure the sustainability of services.
“Protecting Medicaid access will require additional revenue and we fully support taxing tobacco and vape products that contribute to poor health and higher healthcare costs,” Amy Zaagman, executive director of the Michigan Council for Maternal and Child Health, said in a statement.
The proposal comes amid national cuts. The federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act is set to lower Medicaid spending by more than $911 billion throughout the decade.
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