A massive tax cut/Medicaid reform bill that cleared the U.S. House this month has sparked a messaging war at all levels of politics between Republicans and Democrats attempting to frame the issues for the public.

For Republicans, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” makes tax cuts from President Donald Trump’s first term permanent, but for Democrats, the changes to how Medicaid is administered mean “people will die.”

All the while, both sides are sidestepping the significant debt that comes with the plan, which still needs U.S. Senate approval to get to Trump’s desk.

U.S. Reps. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn), Haley Stevens (D-Birmingham) and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took aim at the cuts the bill would administer [Read More]

By KAITLYN DELBENE
Wachler & Associates, PC

A press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on March 27, 2025, announced a self-described “dramatic restructuring” of the Department as part of the administration’s efforts at “workforce optimization.” Among other changes, the press release revealed a plan to slash the HHS workforce by 25 percent and announced oversight of certain HHS offices by a new Assistant Secretary for Enforcement. As these sweeping changes are implemented, providers should be aware of possible ramifications for their practices. The cuts to the HHS workforce have been challenged in a lawsuit by 21 states and the District of Columbia, though no injunction has yet [Read More]

Healthcare Michigan – Michigan’s 21st Century Healthcare News Source

Lansing Lines is presented in cooperation with MIRS, a Lansing-based news and information service.

UIA Director Testifies In Oversight Subcommittee About $8-$15 Billion In Fraud During COVID-19
The House Oversight Subcommittee on State and Local Assistance Programs heard testimony from Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA) Director Jason Palmer over the agency’s handling of pandemic-era unemployment benefits, which resulted in an estimated $8 to $15 billion in overpayments.

The meeting focused on two reports from the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) that detailed widespread fraud, mismanagement, and systemic failures within the UIA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Palmer, who took over the office just 86 days prior, acknowledged the agency’s past failures and pledged [Read More]

(ROYAL OAK) – Michigan’s health department was assigned to craft a report detailing the impact of potential future federal Medicaid cuts as part of an executive directive Gov. Gretchen Whitmer penned this month at a press event at Beaumont University Hospital.

The U.S. House is considering up to $880 billion in Medicaid cuts over 10 years, which KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) projects represents 29 percent of state-financed Medicaid spending per resident, to cover the costs of extending tax cuts President Donald Trump signed in 2017.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Dearborn) said House Republicans have circled May 7 on the calendar as the day they will roll out more details on the reductions, which she said is [Read More]

Nearly nine years ago, Faith Brown watched her armed husband kill her four children after she served him divorce papers. Now she visits the Capitol with a funding request to legislators, saying Michigan’s newest gun laws won’t protect domestic violence survivors if shelters close.

“He killed our four children in front of me. He shot me, cut me with a knife and left me for dead. What was so chilling was how calm he was. He wasn’t angry. He didn’t yell. He just did it,” Brown said. “I remember waking up in the hospital. A social worker gave me a folder with resources to try to help me put my life back together. [Read More]

By DANIEL AYYASH & KELSEY CLAUSS
Wachler & Associates, P.C.

Healthcare providers are well aware of the complexities and demands of Medicare audits and the havoc they can wreak. However, with careful billing, attention to detail, and thorough documentation, it is possible to turn the tide. However, a recent trend indicates that Medicare audits are being scrutinized much more closely and are quickly evolving into something far more serious—an investigation under the False Claims Act (FCA).

The Medicare audit process typically involves a review of healthcare claims, medical records, billing codes, and supporting documentation. When alleged discrepancies are found—such as improper coding, overbilling, inaccurate claims, or inadequate documentation—providers may face overpayment allegations, repayment demands, [Read More]

By LEE G. PETRO & KIMBERLY RUPPEL
Dickinson Wright

The future of healthcare once seemed like science fiction—think of The Jetsons, the iconic 1960s animated show where families communicate via video calls and receive virtual checkups. But today, telehealth has rapidly become a reality, thanks to technological advances and broadband expansion. However, key funding mechanisms are now under scrutiny, raising questions about whether this future will continue to grow or stall.

Recent advancements in broadband infrastructure have fueled the rapid expansion of telehealth services. Underpinning this significant growth has been the expansion of the broadband infrastructure over the past five years to ensure that healthcare providers and patients have reliable communications services. However, [Read More]

Lansing Lines is presented in cooperation with MIRS, a Lansing-based news and information service.

El Sayed Handing Out Grades To Kennedy

The former director of the Detroit and Wayne County health departments is awarding two grades to the new federal health director, RFK, Jr.

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed gives Robert F. Kennedy Jr. an A for focusing on the major nutrition problem facing this country, but a D for suggesting the wrong solution.

“He is bringing attention to the long-term problem of nutrition in an industry dominated by huge corporations producing the wrong kinds of foods that are ultra-processed and delivered in ways just to get us to consume more (and) he defines the problem and then brings [Read More]

By PAUL NATINSKY
Like the rest of the cuts by chainsaw, the 15-percent cap on indirect costs for National Institutes of Health projects is a sharp-edged reduction in spending. Purportedly targeted at reducing waste and inefficiency, the indiscriminate reduction belies that mission.

The most rudimentary of analyses would have proved the approach infeasible. About $9 billion of the NIH’s $35 billion in grants for 2023 were for indirect costs, which include equipment and office space, technology, research security, data processing, biosafety, financial and accounting support, and legal and compliance support. Indirect costs average around 28%, with some over 60%, according to NIH-reported numbers. The costs are negotiated on a project-by-project basis.

The proposed [Read More]