April 2013 - The newest chapter in Michigan’s journey with the Patient Protection and Affordable Act (ACA) was unveiled on April 17, 2013 when a bill sponsored by Senator Jim Marleau (R), Lake Orion was introduced in the Michigan Senate.

April 2013 - When it comes to health care, our nation has reached a crossroads. President Obama’s fledgling Affordable Care Act is a multifaceted, aggressive program designed to overhaul the delivery of health care by effectively restructuring its foundations from the inside out.

March 2013 - The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) has been the elephant in the room, consuming all of the air, attention, and to some extent fear, amongst Michigan legislators for the last 12 months.

March 2013 - With the October 1, 2013 date of open enrollment approaching for individuals wanting to participate on the federal healthcare exchange, many people are feverishly scanning the draft enrollment process to get a feel for what lies ahead.

February 2013 - The Michigan Business and Professional Association is asking the support of both the State House and Senate in appropriating the $30 million in federal grant funding available to lay the groundwork for establishing a health insurance marketplace for our state-federal partnership plan.

January 2013 - Inside our nation’s new federal healthcare law, a $63-per-person annual fee will be charged to all health insurance plans beginning next year that will aid in financing the new law’s risk-adjustment mechanism. The question remains, who will be responsible for paying the fee?

December 2012 - After a long, expensive and exhausting election season, the legislature finally returns to Lansing for the final weeks of the 96th legislature. In what is expected to be an exceptionally busy and aggressive agenda, members of the Michigan State House and Senate are expected to tackle a number of significant public policy decisions.

November 2012 - As the dust continues to settle after last week’s election, a clearer picture begins to unfold, as pundits, political insiders and average Michiganders continue to recover from an election cycle that included unprecedented levels of spending, a barrage of media and print activity, and a number of incumbent upsets in the State House.

November 2012 - The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is a massive, complicated and what feels like all-encompassing piece of legislation that continues to confound most Americans. One central theme of the ACA that many small business owners are reviewing is the various provisions that encourage employers to develop preventive care and wellness programs for their employees.

November 2012 - The Michigan Business and Professional Association (MBPA,) along with the Michigan Food and Beverage Association (MFBA), want to keep you informed on all health care updates in our state. Recently, there has been action set forth by Governor Snyder that would modernize Michigan’s health insurance market, keeping in check with the new federal health care law, which includes making Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) a nonprofit mutual insurance company.