Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer this week applauded the Department of Management, Technology and Budget’s (DTMB) decision to guarantee access to generic oral prescription medications for 200,000 more Michiganders beginning Sept. 1. following his May executive directive.
“Every woman in Michigan deserves to be able to make decisions about her body, including when and if she should start a family,” Whitmer said in a press release. “Today we celebrate a step forward by the State of Michigan to cover birth control for the 200,000 retirees and their families covered by the non-Medicare MPSERS plan. Over the past year, hundreds of claims birth control coverage were denied, preventing those who are covered by MPSERS schemes, such as the daughter of a retired teacher, from accessing the medications they needed or who they are. politicians take action to control women’s bodies, enacting laws and extreme restrictions on abortion and drugs, I will fight like hell to protect reproductive freedom.
Oral Contraceptives Added to MPSERS Non-Medicare Health Care Plan
Effective September 1, 2022, generic prescription oral contraceptives were added to the non-Medicare health care plan of the Michigan Public School Employees Retirement System (MPSERS). Previously, oral contraceptives were only covered by Medicare. Starting Thursday, September 1, non-Medicare plan members will also have access to this coverage.
The MPSERS plan covers approximately 200,000 retired school employees and their families with the goal of providing high-quality health care at an affordable price for this primarily retired population. While most members are retirees and do not often need reproductive health services, the plan also covers spouses and beneficiaries who use coverage more frequently.
DTMB is working with OptumRx to reach the nearly 600 Michiganders who have been denied birth control drugs in the past 12 months and inform them of the new coverage available.
Governor Whitmer’s Executive Directive on Reproductive Health
Governor Whitmer executive directive 2022-05 instructed the departments not to cooperate with or assist any state authorities in any investigation or proceeding against anyone for obtaining, providing, or assisting someone else to obtain or provide health care legal reproductive health where health care is provided.
Michigan State departments and agencies must also identify and evaluate potential opportunities to increase reproductive health care protections, consistent with applicable law. They should detail how they can increase the choices available to protect mental, physical and reproductive health; protect the privacy of people seeking care; and ensuring the safety of reproductive health care providers.
Additionally, departments and agencies that communicate directly with the public on reproductive issues should provide accessible and comprehensive information about the current cost and availability of reproductive care and educate the public about the availability and safety of contraception. .
Governor Whitmer’s Abortion Trial
In April, Governor Whitmer sued and used the authority of the executive message to ask the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately determine whether the Michigan Constitution protects the right to abortion. Governor Whitmer’s lawsuit marks the first time a governor has filed a lawsuit to protect a woman’s right to an abortion since the U.S. Supreme Court signaled its willingness to consider waiving it. nullify or circumscribe the federal right to abortion.
The lawsuit asks the court to recognize a constitutional right to abortion under the Due Process Clause of the Michigan Constitution. He is also asking the court to stop enforcing Michigan’s 1931 abortion ban. The abortion ban violates Michigan’s Due Process Clause, which provides a right to privacy and bodily autonomy that is violated by the state’s near-total criminal ban on abortion. It also violates Michigan’s Equal Protection Clause because of how the ban denies women equal rights because the law was passed to reinforce outdated notions of women’s proper role in society.
Early Investments by Governor Whitmer’s Family
Since taking office, the governor has taken several steps to ensure that Michiganders can start families when they are ready and have the support they need to raise their children.
The governor launched the Healthy Moms, Healthy Babies program to ensure women have what they need to have healthy pregnancies. The recent bipartisan budget signed by the governor allocates $20 million to expand the program to benefit approximately 35,000 pregnant and postpartum women in Michigan each year.
To support children in their formative years, Governor Whitmer implemented paid family leave for all of Michigan’s approximately 47,000 state employees. Parents should be able to be with and support their children after birth, and she called on the legislature to extend this essential, pro-family benefit to all parents in Michigan.
The governor also worked across the aisle to make record investments in child care, expanding free or low-cost child care to an additional 150,000 children, or 40% of Michiganders age 12. years and under. Affordable, quality child care helps parents return to work knowing their children are safe and cared for. For Michigan residents considering adoption, the budget Governor Whitmer negotiated increases support for foster, guardian and adoptive families by 20 percent, sending more than $25 million directly to families.
For Michigan residents not yet ready to start families, Governor Whitmer has made it clear that women and qualified medical providers should make health care decisions, not politicians.
Governor Whitmer’s Actions to Protect Reproductive Liberty
- April 7: Filed a complaint ask the Michigan Supreme Court to immediately determine whether Michigan’s constitution protects the right to abortion.
- April 7: Write a editorial in the Detroit Free Press explaining his action and pointing out that 7 out of 10 Michiganders support the rights asserted by Roe.
- May 3: Joined 16 other states in urging the U.S. Senate to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act and enshrine Roe’s protections in federal law.
- May 9: Write a editorial in the New York Times explaining why she is not waiting for Congress to act and urging other pro-choice governors, state officials, private businesses and citizens to take action to protect reproductive rights.
- May 25: Signed an executive directive directing Michigan State departments and agencies to identify and evaluate opportunities to increase reproductive health care protections, such as contraception. The executive directive also directs departments not to cooperate with or assist state authorities in any investigation or proceeding against anyone to obtain, provide, or assist someone else in obtaining or providing health care. legal reproductive health where health care is provided.
- June 23: Launched a new consumer website to educate Michiganians about the availability of free birth control with most insurance plans.
- June 24: The day of the Dobbs decisionfiled a motion urging the Court to immediately review his lawsuit.
- June 27: Followed by additional notice to the Court to urge them to immediately consider his trial.
- June 29: sent a letter to michigan insurers urging them to take steps to ensure that Michiganders receive reproductive health care coverage to the fullest extent possible under current coverage.
- July 6: Joined with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services to launch a public effort to educate Michiganians and health care providers about the difference between emergency contraception and medical abortion. The public effort will disseminate information about the differences between medical abortion and emergency contraception to all Michigan local health departments, statewide health care providers and the public.
- July 7: Called the federal government Clarify and protect the right of Michigan residents to cross the Canada-US border to obtain reproductive health care or prescription drugs, including medical abortion.
- 11 July : Urged President Biden to do birth control available over the counter without a prescription.
- July 13: Signed a decree refusal to extradite women or health care providers who come to Michigan seeking reproductive freedom.
- 22nd of July: Called the FDA to reduce barriers to medical abortion.
- August 1: Secure one restraining order preventing some county prosecutors from enforcing the 1931 abortion ban after a court cleared the way for them to do so earlier the same day.
- August 3: Went to court to defend restraining order and won.
- August 4: Class renewed request with the Michigan Supreme Court to protect the right to abortion.
- August 4: Submitted legal file to prevent the application of the extreme ban on abortion of 1931.
- August 10: Filed a petition for a preliminary injunction against the 1931 abortion ban in the Oakland County Circuit Court.
- August 19: Won a preliminary injunction against the 1931 abortion ban, protecting legal abortion in Michigan until the Michigan Supreme Court takes the governor’s case or Michiganders vote to protect basic women’s rights.