MEA Votes

As Speaker Andy Dillon’s gubernatorial campaign pushes forward, the media is starting to push back on his outlandish claims about his mandatory state-run health plan for public employees. From Tuesday’s Lansing State Journal editorial page:

When Dillon first launched this idea, an LSJ editorial stated, "House Speaker Andy Dillon has a good concept."

It also stated, "The key problem right now is that Dillon and his supporters don't have the details to carry the argument."

Nearly a year later, that's still the case.

This editorial (along with another similar one in Livingston County) laments the lack of an independent analysis by the state to confirm Dillon’s claims that his plan would save almost $1 billion. And it questions why, a year later, the plan is still so sketchy, despite revisions to the bills and countless hearings on the topic.

Analysis that has been conducted runs counter to Dillon’s claims – a study by Public Policy Associates, a well-respected Lansing firm, found that there was no proof of savings. In fact, the plan could COST the state more money than it saves in start-up and annual administrative expenses.

Throughout the hearings on Dillon’s idea, no independent expert on health insurance has shown that the plan would save any money at all – most pointing to the lack of details provided.

It’s time for Speaker Dillon to pull the plug on his hazy health plan that would cost the state money while attacking the health benefits and bargaining rights of public workers and their families.