Provide names of other journalists involved.
NA
List date(s) this work was published or aired.
Claims tax would raise rates, June 22, 2011 Smokers need not apply at hospitals, March 14, 2011 Workers’ choice: Flu shots or ax, August 31, 2011 St. John helps workers become healthier, June 20, 2011
Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
* Michigan lawmakers proposed a new way to help pay for Medicaid in Michigan, wanting to impose a 1 percent tax on paid health care claims to insurance companies and self-funded employer plans in the state. The new tax would shift who pays for an estimated $400 million in Medicaid funding, replacing a 6 percent use tax more than a dozen Medicaid health maintenance organization plans pay. The change, which was opposed by groups such as the Michigan Manufacturers Association that has many members with self-funded insurance plans, was expected to boost most policyholders’ insurance costs in 2012 by up to 1 percent. The Michigan governor signed the legislation later in the year, before a national group representing employers with self-funded insurance plans in December filed a lawsuit in federal court in Detroit, attempting to stop the new tax from being imposed. * Some Michigan hospitals, including in our coverage area, had quietly implemented policies to no longer hire people who use tobacco products. The hospitals said the policies promote their health missions and help lower employee health care costs. But the policies raised questions in the community about discrimination, the rights of smokers, and other possible employer bans. Following our story, more hospitals, such as the Sparrow Health System in Lansing, announced similar policy changes to stop hiring smokers. * Most hospitals in Metro Detroit now mandate employees get flu shots, following a recommendation from the American Hospital Association. Some hospitals will go as far as firing employees who don’t comply, which is what one nurse said happened to her after she refused a flu vaccination at one local hospital. The debate over patient safety vs. worker rights grew as vaccine choice groups met with hospital workers and state lawmakers over the mandates, aiming to extend vaccine waiver rights that exist for school children in Michigan. * One of Metro Detroit’s major health systems developed an innovative wellness program to curtail the 8 percent annual hikes in health costs it had been experiencing for its workforce of 17,000 employees. The health system found a small group of employees accounted for 50 percent of its health care spending, and created a program providing free nurse managers and disease education to help those employees control chronic conditions. The voluntary system was able to cut that group’s health care costs by 22 percent, and kept the system’s net health care costs per employee flat for four straight years. That saved the system’s parent company in Michigan as much as $9 million since 2006. The health system is now marketing the program to other businesses as a way to bring in additional revenue. Explanation of beat: I cover the business side of healthcare, primarily healthcare trends and follow seven major health systems and other independent hospitals in Metro Detroit, plus insurers across the state including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which covers 4.3 million Michigan residents. While the healthcare beat is a priority, I also write about green energy, the state’s film industry, utilities, technology and other business topics.
Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
I used proposed legislation, legislative analysis, and hospital policies found online and requested directly from the hospitals.
Explain types of human sources used.
The stories included interviews with hospital executives, consultants, lawmakers, hospital employees and advocacy groups.
Results:
NA.
Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
I wrote a follow-up story later being challenged in court by a national group representing employers with self-funded insurance plans.
Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Talk with hospital executives periodically to garner ideas for stories. Several ideas were generated during a few sit-downs with top execs, and by paying attention to items posted on hospital and insurance company websites and in employee newsletters.