By Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A bi-partisan House Health Care Plan that aims to curb health care costs includes a measure sponsored by a local lawmaker.

Lawmakers announced the plan Wednesday that they say will improve the quality of health care while making it more accessible and affordable for people in Michigan. Republican State Representative Ann Bollin of Brighton Township said the plan focuses on three main goals: Lowering the cost of prescription medicine, increasing access to care and making every level of the health-care industry step up and provide a higher standard of care.

Bollin is sponsoring a measure to expand access to telehealth services that would ensure out-of-state physicians can provide telemedicine services to people in Michigan without overly burdensome licensure requirements. In a press release, Bollin commented that the pandemic has made access to tele-medicine services more important than ever and instead of sitting in a busy waiting room with others who may be sick, people can see doctors in the comfort of their homes. She added that by granting access for patients in Michigan to speak with health care professionals and specialists from across the country, residents have an opportunity to find the best possible care.

The 15-bill package would regulate pharmacy benefit managers that run drug coverage for insurers and employers, and ban the managers from profiting by charging a health plan more than what is paid to the pharmacy. Other bills would cap insulin co-pays at $50 for a 30-day supply, require insurers to count all drug rebates received for a medication toward a family’s deductible or maximum out-of-pocket costs and hold drug companies accountable by requiring manufacturers to submit details on how their drugs are priced.

The full plan and proposed reforms can be viewed through the provided link.