Dear Honorable Governor Whitmer:
On behalf of the nearly 1,200 Michiganders living with cystic fibrosis, we write to thank you for providing adequate funding for the Children’s Special Health Care Services (CSHCS) program and Medicaid in the FY 2024 budget. These programs are critical safety nets for a large proportion of the CF community in Michigan and play an important role in ensuring consistent access to needed care.
About Cystic Fibrosis and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
Cystic fibrosis is a rare genetic disease that affects close to 40,000 children and adults in the United States. CF causes the body to produce thick, sticky mucus that clogs the lungs and digestive system, which can lead to life-threatening infections. As a complex, multi-system condition, CF requires targeted, specialized treatment and medications. For those with CF, health care coverage is a necessity, and interruptions in coverage can lead to lapses in care, irreversible lung damage, and costly hospitalizations — compromising the health and well-being of those with the disease.
As the world’s leader in the search for a cure for CF and an organization dedicated to ensuring access to high-quality, specialized CF care, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation accredits more than 130 care centers nationally, including 11 in Michigan, that provide multidisciplinary, specialized care in accordance with clinical practice guidelines. As experts in CF care, the CF Foundation and our care centers understand the need for access to adequate, affordable health coverage, including through programs like CSHCS and Medicaid.
Children’s Special Health Care Services
Thank you for supporting an increase of $5,200,000 in funding for CSHCS in the FY 2024 budget. CSHCS is a state-run program that helps people with CF afford the high cost of their care. It acts as a payer of last resort by reimbursing families for needed treatments and services, such as medications and doctors’ visits, when there are gaps left by other forms of insurance.
Michigan Medicaid
Medicaid is also a crucial source of coverage for people with CF, and we thank you for ensuring the FY 2024 budget preserves existing funding, eligibility, and benefits. Over half of children and nearly one in three adults living with CF in Michigan depend on Medicaid for some or all of their health care needs. The program plays an important role in helping people with cystic fibrosis afford the specialized care and treatment they need to manage the disease and, for many with CF, it fills coverage gaps in private insurance that would otherwise leave patients with unsustainable out-of-pocket costs.
CSHCS and Medicaid both play a critical role in promoting the health and well-being of Michiganders with CF. Thank you for adequately funding these programs and for keeping the needs of people with CF in mind when forming the FY 2024 budget.