Dear Neighbor,
I’m working to make staying healthy easier! I’ve been working hard in the Senate to make sure our residents living in rural areas and small towns can see a health care provider when needed, afford their medications, and receive care close to home.
Our communities are built on resilience, human connection, and hard work. You deserve a health care system that works for you. Here’s what I’ve been doing to help lower costs, improve access to care, and ensure everyone in Michigan has affordable access to health care in Michigan.
Thank you for the opportunity to represent you. If you have any questions, want to comment on pending legislation, or need help resolving issues with state government, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
In service,
Sue Shink
State Senator
District 14
(517)373-2426
SenSShink@senate.michigan.gov
SenatorShink.com
As part of the 2025 state budget, we made sure everyone, including small cities and towns, gets their fair share of taxpayer dollars for essential services like first responders and emergency care. We also passed legislation so that rural hospitals have the resources they need to care for patients effectively.
In Northfield Township, I secured $1.5 million for the completion of the Hamilton Community Health Network building in Whitmore Lake. The health center provides area residents with a place nearby to get physical and mental health care. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, they take care of anyone who wants and needs health care. I also brought back tax dollars to the Dexter area to support youth mental health and combat youth substance use disorders.
University of Michigan provides world-class health care for the people of District 14 and all of Michigan. Their research and medical advances help to support healthy communities. If you need physical or mental health services, you can get more information at UofMhealth.org or call them at (734) 936-4000.
We all deserve access to the health care we need. My Senate colleagues and I are working hard to pass laws and budgets for programs that protect and expand health care for all Michiganders. This is more important now than ever. The Senate has been working for you, including:
- Passing the Momnibus bill package, which works to improve integrity and accountability of Michigan’s maternal health care system, so that every family has a healthy, successful pregnancy and birth.
- Dedicating funding to support uterine fibroid research and education efforts.
- Investing to expand access to free and low-cost contraceptives and family planning services.
- Refining breast cancer detection standards and saving lives.
- Eliminating financial barriers for over-the-counter oral hormonal and emergency contraceptives.
- Improving outcomes for Black and Brown moms and babies.
- Protecting seniors from the threat of elder abuse.
- Improving opioid addiction treatment.
Tackling Medical Debt
No one should be forced into financial hardship just because they got sick. That’s why my Democratic colleagues and I worked to secure $4.5 million in the state budget to help Michiganders struggling with medical debt. Still, we must do more to protect residents and lower costs. I’m committed to continuing the fight to provide more relief to those burdened with debt.
While drug companies rake in record profits, too many of us are left to choose between medicine and groceries. That’s why I’ve championed Senate Bill 5 to create a Prescription Drug Affordability Board in Michigan. Here’s how it would work.
- An independent board of experts — with no ties to the pharmaceutical industry — would review high-cost drugs.
- If a drug is found to be excessively priced, the board could set a fair upper payment limit that the cost could not exceed.
- The process would be data-driven and transparent, holding Big Pharma accountable.
This bill, along with other bills to assist with prescription costs, have passed the Senate and are waiting for movement in the House.
Safeguarding Affordable Prescription Drugs for Underserved Communities
Kids, families, and older adults around the state need to access critical health care and low-cost prescription drugs. So, we’re fighting for it! Senate Bill 94 safeguards cost savings for Federally Qualified Health Centers, critical access hospitals, and other facilities covered under the federal 340B program.
Opioid Recovery Services
Opiod addiction continues to ravage our communities and puts men, women, and children at risk. I have worked closely with local stakeholders to make sure we can do more for those suffering from substance use disorders. I am working on legislation to make insurance companies pay for non-opioid pain relief and was able to secure $3 million for Andy’s Place in Jackson, which provides support services and housing for people affected by substance use disorders. For help, you can contact Families Against Narcotics: faceaddictionnow.org or 1-833202-HOPE (4673).