May 1, 2021
Friends,
Michigan is beginning to see a plateau in the amount of newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, but we are not out of the woods yet. It is imperative we continue to help our loved ones get access to any of the safe and secure vaccines currently available. Please continue to practice safe social distancing, as well as wearing a mask around others, washing your hands, and adhering to other important CDC guidelines.
In this weekend’s newsletter, you’ll find information regarding recent news about Michigan’s infant mortality rate, as well as the governor’s recent executive action to create the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council, on which I am honored to represent the interests and people of Detroit and Wayne County.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office at 517-373-0990, or email me if you have any questions or need assistance.
Stay safe and be well,
Sylvia Santana
State Senator
District 3
ATTORNEY GENERAL REISSUES CONSUMER ALERT
On Wednesday, April 28, Attorney General Dana Nessel reissued a warning about a text message that people are receiving where the sender is impersonating the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA). It targets claimants with a fraudulent announcement that the UIA is making changes to security features and asks the recipient to click on a link and log into their account, or risk losing their benefits. The goal is to obtain the claimant’s personal information that can then be used to steal their identity.
Here are important reminders:
- UIA will not send a text message or email inviting you to apply for UIA benefits.
- If you have applied for UIA benefits and get a text or email about your application, contact your UIA directly using contact information included in your account.
- Never click links sent in a text or email claiming to be from UIA.
- If you believe someone has stolen your identity to claim unemployment benefits, report your concern to UIA.
Additional information and tips to protect your identity can be found online.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE CLEARED FOR USAGE
On Friday, April 24, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services, following federal recommendations, cleared the single-shot Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine to be used again for adults 18 and older.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control have confidence this vaccine is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19. Available data reviewed shows that the vaccine’s potential benefits outweigh its known and potential risks.
To find a vaccination location and schedule an appointment, visit the Michigan.gov/COVID19Vaccine website or the CDC COVID Vaccine Finder.
MICHIGAN INFANT MORTALITY LOWEST IN RECORDED HISTORY
On Tuesday, April 27, the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) announced that Michigan has achieved a significant milestone in the state’s efforts to keep mothers and babies safe: Michigan had both the lowest infant mortality rate in recorded history, and a measurable decrease in the disparity of death occurrences between Black and white mothers.
Infant mortality is considered the death of an infant before reaching the age of one. Causes of infant mortality include birth defects, preterm birth, maternal pregnancy complications, sudden infant death syndrome, and injuries like suffocation.
The data was released by the Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Section of MDHHS and showed an infant mortality rate of 6.4 per 1,000 live births, as well as a reduction of the Black and white infant mortality disparity ratio of 3.2 in 2018 to 2.6 in 2019.
While the decreasing disparity ratio is good news for Michigan, leaders in state and local public health will continue to address the root causes of maternal and infant health disparities, which aligns with the 2030 Healthy People goal set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to eliminate racial disparities in infant deaths.
Visit the CDC website to learn more about infant mortality.
SENTINEL PROJECT TO PREPARE FOR MICHIGAN’S AGING POPULATION
On Monday, April 26, Attorney General Dana Nessel announced a new initiative that will focus on protecting vulnerable adults residing in nursing facilities.
The Sentinel Project, which Nessel discussed in a video announcement, will use specially trained staff to examine long-term care facilities for evidence of abuse or neglect through unannounced visits, which will be determined by performance metrics, complaints and other data. These discrete but comprehensive site investigations will determine if additional action is necessary to ensure loved ones are given the best possible care.
By the year 2060, the senior population in the United States is projected to be over 94 million. At an increase of almost 70%, many of these individuals will require assistance in nursing facilities. This influx — referred to as the Silver Tsunami — will significantly impact long-term care facilities. The Sentinel Project will help the state prepare for this future wave and demand better care for current residents.
If you or someone you know is being abused or neglected in a nursing facility, contact the Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Hotline at (800) 24-ABUSE (2-2873) or file a complaint online using the Michigan Attorney General Patient Abuse Complaint Form.
GOV. WHITMER CREATES MICHIGAN JAIL REFORM ADVISORY COUNCIL
Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed Executive Order No. 2021-5, creating the Michigan Jail Reform Advisory Council to facilitate, assist with, monitor, and evaluate the successful implementation of jail reform legislation throughout the State of Michigan.
This Council comes after the Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration — on which I served — issued its final report last January and recommendations to the governor regarding significant growth in county jail populations that cost taxpayers nearly half a billion dollars annually. It was recommended there be extensive state policy changes related to traffic violations, arrests, behavioral health diversion, pretrial release and detention, speedy trials, sentencing, probation and parole, and more.
The Council will include participation from Judge Prentis Edwards of the 3rd Circuit Court of Wayne County and Judge Carrie Lynn Fuca of the 41B District Court of Clinton Township, who are designated by Chief Justice Bridget McCormack; Sen. Jim Runestad, nominated by the Senate Majority Leader; myself, nominated by the Senate Minority Leader; Rep. Mike Mueller, nominated by the Speaker of the House; and Rep. Tenisha Yancey, nominated by the House Minority Leader.
Appointees will serve until the Council dissolves on March 31, 2023.
CONSUMERS CAN APPEAL HEALTH INSURER DENIALS
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is reminding consumers of the Michigan Patient’s Right to Independent Review Act (PRIRA), which gives consumers the opportunity to have an external review of health insurance decisions to obtain the health care services to which they are entitled.
When a health insurer decides that a health care service will not be covered, it will issue an official notification called an “adverse determination.” If a consumer disagrees with that decision, the consumer has the right to file an appeal. There are two levels of appeal:
- an internal grievance, initiated by the consumer with their health insurance company and;
- an external review with DIFS, which may be initiated after the consumer has gone through the health insurer’s internal grievance process or if the insurer fails to provide a decision within the timeframe required by law, which is 30 calendar days for a pre-service denial or 60 days for a post-service denial.
Since 2019, DIFS has issued nearly 1,000 PRIRA orders to health insurance companies. For more information related to filing a request for an external review, contact DIFS 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 877-999-6442 or visit the DIFS PRIRA website. Consumers have 127 days after they receive the health insurer’s final denial to file a request for external review with DIFS.
DIFS can also help consumers with health insurance questions and complaints and can provide information about the current Health Insurance Marketplace Special Enrollment Period that will be open through August 15. Contact DIFS Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442 or Michigan.gov/HealthInsurance.