- Democrats To Propose Bill Capping Out-of-Pocket Medicare Costs for Enrollees
- Opioid Settlement Money Pays for Services To Battle Addiction in Rural Kentucky
- AstraZeneca spells out a community cancer screening strategy with the YMCA
- Penn Medicine crisis center cuts psychiatric ED consults 80% in 6 months
- Maryland extends behavioral health provider enrollment halt
- TGH Behavioral Health launches partial hospitalization program
- NYU Langone, Mount Sinai patient records temporarily shielded from Justice Department
- UAMS to operate 53-bed Arkansas hospital, expanding clinical footprint
- New York system to close ASC, orthopedic group
- Preventing employee cynicism in a DSO
- Optum prepares to sell some New York specialties
- New York system to close orthopedic group, ASC
- CHS hospital CEO to retire after 50-year healthcare career
- Maintenance workers at 6 Prime hospitals in Illinois plan strike
- Walmart heiress’ nonprofit launches GME center to grow physician pipeline
- Optum prepares to sell some New York specialties
- Senate bill aims to expand rural surgery care
- Memorial Sloan Kettering breaks ground on $2.3B cancer center
- Ohio dentist to pay $500,000 to resolve False Claim Act allegations
- Lawmakers aim to fight ‘surgical deserts’ with new bill
- 9 schools training the next wave of ASC anesthesiologists
- 3 Washington dental offices pay $1M to settle Medicaid fraud allegations
- Why Ascension believes ASCs need a rebrand
- How long can health systems afford rising provider pay?
- Illinois behavioral health CEO charged in $75M Medicaid fraud case
- The anesthesia desert: 8 states, no residency programs, no pipeline
- The CRNA cost cliff
- Is private equity’s healthcare bubble about to burst?
- States ranked by anesthesiologists per capita
- Assort Health scores $120M series C to scale voice AI agent platform for healthcare
- ASCs’ lease liability
- Arizona behavioral health provider email breach affects 2,316
- Akron Children’s adds 24/7 text-based mental health support
- Kaiser Health Plan ordered to pay hospital $82M over insufficient reimbursement
- Dentistry’s highest-paid CEO
- US health spending set to reach $9T by 2034: CMS report
- What behavioral health leaders need to know about Medicaid work requirements
- Trial set for man accused of dental office shooting
- Utah halts new behavioral health Medicaid enrollments
- BCBS Michigan to supervised BH clinicians: Bill directly or face payment cuts
- Vitana Pediatric & Orthodontic Partners expands capital structure with new financing partner
- Mapp, Gilead antivirals to be deployed in DRC Ebola trial: WHO chief
- Senators call for $50B rural health fund to better target small providers, relax spending restrictions
- Florida AG to probe CVS for anticompetitive pharmacy practices
- Pfizer scores 1st expansion in 7 years for breast cancer blockbuster Ibrance
- UnitedHealth, Humana And CVS Denied Post-Hospital Care At Some Of The Highest Rates
- Even 5-Minute Movement Breaks Can Boost Your Mood And Fight Fatigue
- Lilly exec says MFN will affect company's obesity pill launch strategy in Europe: report
- Stada, under new CapVest ownership, picks up horde of European consumer brands
- Belly Laughs Spring From The Primitive Brain, Researchers Say
- Mom's Good Heart Health Lowers Risk Of Baby's Developmental Delays
- Accelerated Aging May Explain Rising Cancer Risk In Young Adults
- Coval raises $28M series A to address AI voice agent reliability, compliance
- Amid safety concerns, ADC Therapeutics plots 17% staff cuts to push resources behind Zynlonta
- Racial Gaps Narrow For U.S. Cancer Deaths, Report Finds
- Medicare's AI Push Snarls Patients And Doctors In Errors And Delays
- Even in Blue States, Hospitals Have Continued To Drop Gender-Affirming Care for Youths
- Patients prefer healthcare providers' AI agents to public chatbots, with human oversight non‑negotiable, survey finds
- Revance taps dancer Julianne Hough to choreograph social media push for Botox rival
- Western University opens multidisciplinary dental clinic
- Nature retracts provocative PD-1 study that tied lung cancer survival to treatment timing
- Oral Surgery Partners adds Pennsylvania practice
- Rock Dental Brands marks record growth during first half of 2026: 4 notes
- Connecticut woman accused of stealing $78K from dental office
- Some life insurers compete with health insurers on benefits. Here's why
- DOJ announces $6.5B healthcare fraud takedown with record Medicaid enforcement
- Psychologists sound alarm on patients using AI for mental health: 5 notes
- Locum tenens coverage becoming ‘more purposeful’ staffing strategy: Definitive Healthcare
- Testosterone Therapy Labels And Limits May Change Under FDA Proposal
- Unpacking CMS' decision to recalculate 2026 MA star ratings after Clover Health ruling
- Michigan hospitals denounce legislation to cap prices, limit mergers
- Incyte drops lawsuit as CMS relents on classification of Opzelura
- Medicare’s AI push snarls patients and doctors in errors and delays
- Midlife Strength Training Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk
- Badges, bots and blind spots
- Cadence secures $100M series C to advance AI-powered care for chronic disease
- Patient Portal Messages Double, Doctors Face Rising Workload
- Most Americans Unaware Of Link Between Alcohol And Cancer — And Aren't Interested In Spreading The Word, Either
- Sunscreen Misinformation Popular On TikTok, Study Finds
- Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals By Capping Prices They Charge Employers
- Kids’ Juice And Soda Intake Linked To Higher Blood Pressure Risk As Young Adults
- Worried About Your Aging Parents? Welcome to the Caregiving Club
- Medicare’s AI Push Snarls Patients and Doctors in Errors and Delays
- Hallmark Health Care Solutions launches AI solution to tackle workforce ‘black box’
- AdvanCell locks in lease for US headquarters, radiopharmaceutical production near Boston
- Novartis’ ‘Relax Your Tight End’ prostate cancer campaign wins Cannes Lions Pharma Grand Prix
- These 'socially responsible' hospitals deliver on quality, value and equity
- A look at Elevance Health's push to streamline clinical reviews
- Whistleblower suit accuses Genentech, Novartis of running decades-long kickback scheme on allergy med Xolair
- Big obesity bets and China's rise fuel potential $2T in 2032 drug sales: Evaluate
- Patient portal messages doubled since 2020, study finds, underscoring challenges to physician workloads
- HCSC unveils Easify Edge plans as alternative employer option
- Clover Hill Dairy Recalls All Cheese in Deadly Listeria Outbreak
- Half of U.S. adults can't afford healthcare, Gallup poll finds
- Ensemble Health Partners secures strategic growth investment from Thoreau
- Hospital margins inched higher in April, but still remain below 2025
- Middle-Aged Women Drink More, Know Less About Breast Cancer Risk
- CMS Proposes TAVR Medicare Coverage is Potential Boost for Edwards Lifesciences
- CARsgen makes history as China approves world's first CAR-T therapy for solid tumors
- High Hurdles Thwart Kidney Patients' Pursuit Of Life-Saving Transplants
- Rising Healthcare Costs Leave Many Americans Less Secure
- Short Videos Help First-Time Dads Learn Newborn Safety Basics
- Federal Push To Increase U.S. Primary Care Docs Has Fizzled, Study Says
- US to investigate Germany's proposed drug spending reforms
- Alnylam scolded over promotional activity after Pfizer complaint
- Real-world data powers next-gen biopharma
- They're Uninsured After Obamacare Became Too Costly. And They're Far From Alone.
- Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals by Capping Prices They Charge Employers
- Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk top AI citation share as new report questions DTC spend culture
- Fish Oil Supplements May Be A Bust For Alzheimer's Prevention
- Prehab Can Boost Seniors' Recuperation From Spinal Fusion Surgery, Trial Finds
- Ozempic Might Cut Risk Of Broken Bones, Study Says
- Dog Owners Feel Similar Grief Whether Pets Euthanized, Die Naturally
- Massage Guns Can Cause Eye Damage, Vision Loss, Case Report Warns
- A 5-month sprint: Behind Pfizer’s $10B deal and Innovent’s global pharma ambition
- FTC orders Aurobindo to divest 4 drugs to complete $250M Lannett acquisition
- Ebola Infections Climb, Could Take Year To Contain, Health Officials Say
- Why a deviation investigation still takes two weeks in the age of AI
- Feeling Sleepy During the Day? It Could Be a Warning Sign for High Blood Pressure
- Major League Pitchers Might Avoid Elbow Injuries By Altering Their Approach, Simulation Suggests
- Birth Control Pills Might Increase Binge Eating Risk, Study Finds
- Women Might Lower Their Heart Risk By Lifting Weights, Study Says
- Personalized Brain Implant Provides Step-By-Step Walking Boost For Parkinson's Patients
- Most Americans Are Surviving Cancer. But The Mental Health Challenges Can Persist.
- Arrests of Immigrant Parents Create Mental Health Crisis for Children
- Sandwiched Between Caring for Kids and Aging Parents? Reach Out for Resources
- U.K. Moves To Ban Social Media For Children
- Pregnant Woman Exposed to 45 Common Chemicals, Study Finds
- Gilead’s Trodelvy nabs broad FDA approval in front-line TNBC, fueling TROP2 ADC market war
- Lower Risk Of Death, Clots Among Autoimmune Patients Taking GLP-1 Drugs
- Surgical Menopause Tied To Worse Sexual And Urinary Symptoms
- Post-Op Delirium Common In Seniors, But Not All Hospitals Screen For It
- Early-Onset Cancers Are On The Rise. Knowing Your Family History Is Crucial.
- Minimally Invasive Procedure Eases Arthritis Knee Pain, Study Finds
- Democrats Seek To Spotlight Rising Health Costs by Forcing Vote on Trump Regulation
- Tennessee Pharmacies Sell Potent Ivermectin, Led by Anti-Vaccine Doctor Who’s Taken ‘Bucketloads’
- Big Pharma’s Big Brand: Inside Eli Lilly’s marketing culture
- Remarks to the US-CEE Connection: Transatlantic Challenges in Law, Business & Policy
- Statement Regarding Minimum Pricing Increments and Access Fee Caps
- Statement at the SEC Open Meeting on the Trade-Through Rule and Locked and Crossed Markets Provisions of Regulation NMS
- Disorder Protection Rule: Statement on the Proposed Amendments to Rule 611 and Other Provisions of Regulation NMS
- Statement on the Proposed Amendments to Regulation NMS
- Beyond China and Japan: How biopharma is expanding rare disease access across Asia-Pacific
- This Old House: Improving and Remodeling Our Registered Offering and Filer Status Regimes
- Peirce Out: Remarks at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Capital Markets Summit
- Medtronic Advances Hugo Robotic Surgery Platform with Key FDA Filings and Product Approvals
- Medtronic Posts Strongest Revenue Growth in a Decade, Driven by Cardiovascular and Surgical Businesses
- Boston Scientific Plans Indiana Distribution Center, 300 New Jobs
- “Harmonization: We’ll Have Lots to Talk About”
- Remarks at the Investor Advisory Committee Meeting
Michigan healthcare freedom community forum
The 2025 Michigan House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor and Economic Opportunity Committee ramps up activity this week, meeting three days in a row with a single agenda item.
Leadership:
Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno (Republican) District-34
Chair
Rep. Ron Robinson (Republican) District-58
Majority Vice Chair
Rep. Jasper Martus (Democrat) District-69
Minority Vice Chair
Members
Rep. Greg VanWoerkom (Republican) District-88
Rep. Cam Cavitt (Republican) District-106
Scroll down here for House TV and the dedicated Appropriations Channel.
Meeting records will be filed here.
Tuesday, July 29 through Thursday, July 31, 2025 9:00 AM
Room 519, House Office Building
Marcus Coffin, Committee Clerk, 517-373-8080 mcoffin@house.mi.gov
AGENDA
Review of member-submitted legislatively directed spending items
OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
Day 1: an astounding https://youtube.com/live/P8SHaj0StNw?feature=shar e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">10-hour session, beginning with an explanation of this new process with a pledge of transparency.
Day 2 & 3: Recording not available. No word yet on how long the hearings went.
Lawmakers adding to the wish list this week.
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 8:00 AM
AGENDA
Review of member-submitted legislatively directed spending items
OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
Individuals needing special accommodations to participate in the meeting may contact the Chair's Office.
This committee is now up to 18 hearing videos. You should be able to click and view each one.
-
Appropriations - Labor and Economic Opportunity | 18 Videos
This committee met back in June with a different agenda.
This presentation may relate to some of the many MDHHS wealth-redistribution efforts.
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 10:30 AM
AGENDA
Stakeholder Presentations on Housing Programs.
OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
Two more meetings this year reviewed spending items.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025 1:00 PM or after committees are given leave by the House to meet, whichever time is later
AGENDA
Hearing on Legislatively Directed Spending Items
OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 11:45 AM
AGENDA
A discussion of legislatively directed spending Items.
OR ANY BUSINESS PROPERLY BEFORE THIS COMMITTEE
Result: a 90% reduction in pork.
MichCapCon tracked this and other procedural changes, and reports here on the impact of public awareness.
State budget contains fewer earmarks than in years past
New procedures in place for requesting earmarks, receiving funds
John LaPlante | November 19, 2025
The 2025-26 Michigan budget that took effect last month contains many fewer earmarks than budgets of recent years, and it brings some significant changes to the earmarking process.
Most of the dollars in the state budget are allocated to various state departments through broad spending categories. But some spending goes to projects or entities that individual lawmakers specifically request. These items, variously called pork projects, earmarks, or legislatively directed spending items, came to just over $5 million in the 2015-16 budget
Legislators had requested $4 billion in earmarks for the 2025-26 budget. But the enacted budget included only $360 million in earmarks, according to James Hohman, director of fiscal policy at the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
Hohman sought to identify the purpose or recipient of those earmarks but could not account for 29 projects that represented $53.8 million in earmarked spending.
MIRS News reported that the state took a different approach to earmarks this year. “Unlike prior years, the public got a look at who was getting what ahead of time, even if it was only a few hours ahead of time in the case of the Senate.” A second change, it said, was the volume of earmarks. MIRS said there were 200 projects valued at $275.4 million, in contrast with $2 billion in the 2024 budget.
Though MIRS and Hohman found a similar trend, they used different methods in their analysis, leading to different results. MIRS “went through looking for boilerplate language devoting cash to single local or private entities,” Hohman replied when a colleague asked him why he and MIRS came up with different numbers. “MIRS tracked the requests posted on the legislature’s site as part of the new pork transparency rules.”
The Michigan Senate had a larger influence than the House in establishing the earmarked funds. Roughly 50% of the earmarked dollars senators requested made it into the budget, MIRS reported, but only 45% of those requested by representatives did.
Democratic legislators made a larger impact on the budget, with 56.8% of the value of their requests ending up in the budget, MIRS said. The comparable number for legislative Republicans was 41.2% of their requests. Democrats control the governor’s office as well as the Senate while Republicans control only the House.
The new budget introduced a new procedure for allocating earmarks. Starting in January 2025, members of the House have publicly reported what they call legislatively directed spending items. The Senate now has its own version, with the first reports being made Sept. 30.
Michigan Capitol Confidential has used many of the House’s disclosure documents this year to tell readers the details of various projects. It will now draw on Senate documents as well to tell members of the public how their representatives are spending their funds.
State agencies will distribute earmarks differently in the new budget. Recipients had received half of their earmarks up-front, MIRS reported, but now they will need to submit requests for reimbursement.
Earmarks go to a variety of purposes, including storm sewers, public safety, city parks, local roads, health clinics, food banks, social service agencies, day care centers, homeless shelters and a public library. Roughly $31 million will go to nonprofit organizations yet to be disclosed.
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