The Protect MI Care coalition is gathering information from candidates seeking public office in Michigan about their perspectives on Medicaid. Please note that the Protect MI Care coalition does not endorse candidates for office. The information collected in this questionnaire is for educational and informational purposes only. Responses from candidates are published as received, without editing or commentary. Candidates have agreed that their responses may be reproduced and attributed to them in Protect MI Care communications, including newsletters, social media, websites, and materials shared with coalition partners.
The following responses are from Serenity Hope Salak, Democratic candidate for Michigan House of Representatives District 93.
Medicaid covers about one in four Michigan residents—children, seniors, people with disabilities, working families, and veterans — across every county in the state. In the communities you seek to represent, who relies on Medicaid, and how would Medicaid fit among your priorities if elected?
Medicaid is extremely necessary. Having elderly parents I have seen the need for Medicaid.
Michigan has funded the state share of Medicaid through financing tools that federal law (HR-1) enacted in 2025 now limits, including provider taxes and state-directed payments. As a result, Medicaid funding will be renegotiated under intense pressure nearly every year. In the office you are seeking, what would you do to promote stable, long-term Medicaid funding rather than relying on short-term fixes? Would you support establishing a dedicated, sustainable funding source for the program? Why or why not?
A sustainable funding source would be ideal. I do not know the mechanisms to establish that, but once elected, I will do the research and discuss with my colleagues to come up with a long term solution. It is not helpful to have things renegotiated every year because people need to plan and need to know how much they need to save.
With major decreases in federal Medicaid funding starting in 2027, the state will face choices including replacing those dollars, reducing eligibility, cutting provider payments, reducing covered benefits, increasing revenues, or reducing spending elsewhere in the budget. What approach would you support, and what options would you rule out?
This is an extremely difficult question. I honestly do not have a good answer. I would need to look at the budget, see if there are places where we can make cuts, then if necessary look at increasing revenue. With costs rising the average person can’t afford more taxes, so I would look at things like the Governors plan to increase the taxes on nicotine, gambling and ads to support this.
Roughly 660,000 Michiganders are covered through the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s Medicaid expansion. Federal law enacted in 2025 reduces the federal share of that coverage and will lower eligibility levels – decisions made in Washington that state officials cannot undo. If you are seeking federal office, what would you do to restore federal support and eligibility for expansion coverage? If you are seeking state office, what should Michigan do for residents who lose coverage as a result, and would you support using state resources to keep any of them covered?
The best answer is to elect a democratic US congress that would restore medicaid funding. For the state, the budget is tight, but this is an extremely important program. Again, I don’t have all of the answers, but would seek advice from others, and do the research to determine how to balance the budget.
Beginning January 1, 2027, most Healthy Michigan Plan enrollees ages 19–64 must document 80 hours per month of work or other qualifying activity to keep coverage. In other states, people who met the requirement still lost coverage because reporting systems, notices, and staffing were not ready. Would you support self-attestation and automatic verification using data the state already holds, applying the full range of allowable exemptions, and requiring plain-language notices so that no eligible Michigander loses coverage over paperwork?
Beyond what is required by federal law beginning in 2027, would you support or oppose adding new premiums, copayments, enrollment fees, or benefit limits to Michigan’s Medicaid program as a way to manage costs? Please explain.
Ideally no, but it is a difficult problem. Again Medicade is a top priority, but we don’t want to lose other programs. I would need to see the entire budget to make an assessment. There has to be a balance that would work.
Medicaid brings billions of federal dollars into Michigan’s economy, supports thousands of jobs, and is a primary revenue source for Michigan hospitals, health centers, and clinics. Reduced funding is expected to increase uncompensated care, and rural and safety-net providers are the most exposed. What would you do to keep hospitals, clinics, and providers open and accessible in rural and underserved communities?
Our hospitals, clinics and providers are extremely necessary especially in our rural and underserved communities. As an engineer, I see problems and come up with solutions. I need all of the data to do this, and I do not have access to that. Studies show that early detection of disease states allows for lower overall long term medical costs, so we need to get people checked out early. Making it inconvenient or too expensive will make people let their symptoms go unchecked until it is too late and will not be a higher burden on an overstretched system. We need to be thinking about the extended future, not just saving money today only to pay more down the road.
Medicaid is the largest payer for mental health and substance use disorder treatment in Michigan, and in many rural communities it is the only way people reach that care. What would you do to protect and strengthen access to behavioral health care, including crisis services, treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders, and services for children and youth?
Medicaid pays for the care of 65% of nursing home residents in Michigan and funds home- and community-based services that allow seniors and people with disabilities to remain in their own homes. What would you do to protect long-term care and home- and community-based services, and to support the direct care workforce that provides them?
Too many people these days do not think far enough ahead. We will all become seniors, so we need to plan accordingly. Social security, Medicare and Medicaid are programs we will need in the future. Too many people are focusing on short term profits over long term gains. We need to shift our thought processes.
Medicaid pays for 37% of births in Michigan and covers 39% of all Michigan children. What would you do to protect and strengthen Medicaid coverage for pregnant women, new mothers, infants, and children, including ensuring access to preventive care and behavioral health services?
I am an intelligent person, but I do not understand people that are pro life no matter what, and yet they want to cut Medicaid that is necessary for the birth of these children and their health care. Save their life before they are born, but let them die after? We need to support people and give them a path to success.
Medicaid is the largest payer of services for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Michigan, covering the community living supports, employment supports, and transportation that let people live at home, work, and take part in their communities. Unlike nursing facility care, these services are optional under federal law, which puts them at risk when budgets tighten. In the office you are seeking, what would you do to protect and strengthen these supports, and would you commit to ensuring eligible Michiganders are not left waiting to receive them?
Again the first thing I would need to do is meet with all of the involved parties, determine budgets, look at the state wide budget, asses priorities and how do we fund them. These programs are important, and need to be treated as important. We also need to balance the budget so this needs to be figured out. If we all work together, we can come up with solutions. It may not be the perfect solution, but maybe there is a compromise that would work for everyone.
If elected, what is the first concrete action you would take on Medicaid in your first year in office? Please also tell us whether you would commit to meeting with Medicaid enrollees, providers, and advocates in your district, and to reviewing publicly reported data on how Michiganders are impacted by cuts as these changes take effect.
Is there anything else you would like Michigan voters to know about your position on Medicaid?
I do not have all of the answers, but I will always be open to meeting with people, hearing what their concerns are, and getting a group of people together to figure out equitable solutions. As a leader it is my job to get everyone together and talking to each other. Can we combine some services that would server more than one community? When looking at a project I create a chart of Pros and Cons. I work with a team of people with different skill sets to make sure the chart is complete, then have discussions on how can we make the best of what we have.
The Protect MI Care coalition is gathering information from candidates seeking public office in Michigan about their perspectives on Medicaid. Please note that the Protect MI Care coalition does not endorse candidates for office. The information collected in this questionnaire is for educational and informational purposes only. Responses from candidates are published as received, without editing or commentary. Candidates have agreed that their responses may be reproduced and attributed to them in Protect MI Care communications, including newsletters, social media, websites, and materials shared with coalition partners.
The following responses are from Jason Robbins, Democratic candidate for Michigan House of Representatives District 59.
Medicaid covers about one in four Michigan residents—children, seniors, people with disabilities, working families, and veterans — across every county in the state. In the communities you seek to represent, who relies on Medicaid, and how would Medicaid fit among your priorities if elected?
Michigan has funded the state share of Medicaid through financing tools that federal law (HR-1) enacted in 2025 now limits, including provider taxes and state-directed payments. As a result, Medicaid funding will be renegotiated under intense pressure nearly every year. In the office you are seeking, what would you do to promote stable, long-term Medicaid funding rather than relying on short-term fixes? Would you support establishing a dedicated, sustainable funding source for the program? Why or why not?
With major decreases in federal Medicaid funding starting in 2027, the state will face choices including replacing those dollars, reducing eligibility, cutting provider payments, reducing covered benefits, increasing revenues, or reducing spending elsewhere in the budget. What approach would you support, and what options would you rule out?
Roughly 660,000 Michiganders are covered through the Healthy Michigan Plan, the state’s Medicaid expansion. Federal law enacted in 2025 reduces the federal share of that coverage and will lower eligibility levels – decisions made in Washington that state officials cannot undo. If you are seeking federal office, what would you do to restore federal support and eligibility for expansion coverage? If you are seeking state office, what should Michigan do for residents who lose coverage as a result, and would you support using state resources to keep any of them covered?
Beginning January 1, 2027, most Healthy Michigan Plan enrollees ages 19–64 must document 80 hours per month of work or other qualifying activity to keep coverage. In other states, people who met the requirement still lost coverage because reporting systems, notices, and staffing were not ready. Would you support self-attestation and automatic verification using data the state already holds, applying the full range of allowable exemptions, and requiring plain-language notices so that no eligible Michigander loses coverage over paperwork?
If the State already has the required information then no one should be kicked off insurance because a caseworker was stretched too thin to check tape matches and collateral contacts.
If the Feds are going to require this, then they should fund the additional staffing needed to complete these arduous and redundant tasks.
Beyond what is required by federal law beginning in 2027, would you support or oppose adding new premiums, copayments, enrollment fees, or benefit limits to Michigan’s Medicaid program as a way to manage costs? Please explain.
Being under insured is essentially being uninsured. The State should pay for these programs and the cost shouldn’t be passed on to those that can’t afford it. I believe adding cost to Medicaid nullifies the program and will actually do damage in the long run. Period.
Medicaid brings billions of federal dollars into Michigan’s economy, supports thousands of jobs, and is a primary revenue source for Michigan hospitals, health centers, and clinics. Reduced funding is expected to increase uncompensated care, and rural and safety-net providers are the most exposed. What would you do to keep hospitals, clinics, and providers open and accessible in rural and underserved communities?
Medicaid is the largest payer for mental health and substance use disorder treatment in Michigan, and in many rural communities it is the only way people reach that care. What would you do to protect and strengthen access to behavioral health care, including crisis services, treatment for opioid and other substance use disorders, and services for children and youth?
If the cost to provide services is higher than the cost of service it is not sustainable and will fail. A failure at this level will be catastrophic for the workers and families. We must ensure that these services continue.