Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2023

CONTACT: Chelsea Wuth, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS reports presumptive positive case of influenza A H3 (swine flu) variant detected in Lapeer County resident

LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Lapeer and Oakland County health departments have identified a presumptive positive human case of influenza A H3 variant (swine flu) in a Lapeer County resident who was an exhibitor at the Oakland County Fair. The fair took place July 7-16 at the Springfield Oaks County Park in Davisburg. A respiratory specimen that tested presumptive positive for swine flu will be sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for confirmatory testing.

Oakland County Health Division has been reaching out to swine exhibitors and their families who visited the swine barns at the Oakland County Fair to identify any additional illnesses in those who may have been exposed to influenza from infected pigs. Oakland County Health Division has already alerted providers in their jurisdiction to watch for patients presenting with respiratory symptoms who report exposure to swine or who visited the fair.

“Visitors of the Oakland County Fair should monitor for flu-like symptoms: fever, respiratory symptoms like cough and runny nose, and body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “If you believe you may have the flu, contact your health care provider and stay home until you have recovered.”

Below are some steps you can take to protect yourself and prevent the spread of any illness:

• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Refrain from eating or drinking in livestock barns or show rings.
• Do not take toys, pacifiers, cups, baby bottles, strollers, or similar items into pig areas.
• Anyone who is at high risk of serious flu complications and planning to attend a fair should avoid pigs and swine barns.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• If you are sick, stay home from work or school until your illness is over.
• Avoid contact with pigs if you have flu-like symptoms. Wait seven days after your illness started or until you have been without fever for 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, whichever is longer.
• Get an annual influenza vaccination.

Pigs may be infected with swine influenza viruses that are different from human flu viruses. Swine flu viruses spread among pigs and – while rare – they can spread from pigs to people too. Spread of swine flu viruses from a pig to a person is thought to happen in the same way that human flu viruses spread; mainly through droplets when infected pigs cough and sneeze.

Symptoms of variant influenza infection in people are similar to those of seasonal flu viruses and can include fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Infections with influenza viruses (including variant viruses like influenza A H3) can sometimes cause severe disease, even in healthy people.

Severe illness can include complications, such as pneumonia, which may require hospitalization, and sometimes causes death. People who are at high risk of developing complications if they get variant influenza infection include children younger than 5 years of age, people 65 years of age and older, pregnant women and people with certain long-term health conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, weakened immune systems and neurological or neurodevelopmental conditions.

The time period it takes from exposure to illness for variant influenza is similar to that of seasonal influenza, which can be up to 10 days, but is most commonly three days. Currently, there is no vaccine for influenza A H3 and the seasonal flu vaccine will not protect against Influenza A H3; however, prescription antiviral drugs, such as oseltamivir and zanamivir, are effective in treating influenza A H3 virus infections. Early treatment works best and may be especially important for people with a high-risk condition.

For more information, visit CDC.gov/SwineFlu

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 17, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, [email protected]

MDHHS observes one year anniversary of the 988 crisis line
More than 50,000 calls answered by specially trained crisis staff

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is observing the success over the past year since the launch of the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline in Michigan.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, (previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline), is a 24/7 toll-free nationwide hotline made up of a network of local call centers across the country that confidentially provides compassionate care for behavioral health issues or any other kind of emotional distress. The Lifeline accepts calls from anyone who needs support for a suicide, mental health and/or substance use crisis.

“Michigan’s 988 Lifeline receives as many as 7,000 calls per month, and the compassionate staff who answers these urgent calls are well-trained to help and connect those experiencing crisis with support and resources,” said Elizabeth Hertel, MDHHS director. “Nearly 1.5 million adults in Michigan currently have a mental health condition and strengthening crisis care and mental health services continues to be a top priority for MDHHS. We encourage anyone experiencing a crisis or their family members to use this resource whenever they may need it.”

Since its launch in July 2022, nearly 63,000 calls have been answered with approximately 18,000 minutes spent on the phone with Michigan residents. Nearly 95% of calls are answered within 30 seconds. More than 46% of callers had high or overwhelming stress at the beginning of a call, which was reduced to 16% by the end of the call after speaking with a 988 specialist. The 988 Lifeline connects residents to behavioral health services, resources and referrals to follow-up care.

Anyone with concerns like these can call for support:

• Mental health-related distress.
• Thoughts of suicide.
• Substance abuse crisis.
• Emotional distress.
• Help finding a behavioral health resource.

People who are worried about a loved one who may need support also can call 988. Additionally, there are specialized services available for veterans, LGBTQ+ individuals and other groups by selecting the corresponding option on the call menu.

Crisis center calling services are available in English and Spanish, and a Language Line Solutions to provide translation services in more than 250 additional languages is also available. Text and chat are currently available in English only.

TTY users will be served either through their preferred relay service or by dialing 711 then 800-273-8255.

For more information, visit 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and Michigan Crisis & Access Line.

To view the 988 toolkit, click here.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 14, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, SutfinL1@michigan.gov

MDHHS provides guidance on protecting your
health during air quality events due to wildfire smoke
Forecast indicates orange and possibly red Air Quality Index levels
in the Upper Peninsula Saturday, could spread statewide Sunday

LANSING, Mich. – With the weekend forecast predicting unhealthy air quality conditions in parts of the Upper Peninsula and possibly spreading to the rest of the state, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is providing guidance to Michiganders on how to reduce their risk through its new website. 

“We want Michigan families to know how to best take precautions to protect their health and safety during air quality events,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to affect air quality across the state. We are urging Michiganders to check the Air Quality Index regularly to decide if they should be participating in outdoor activities and using the website to help determine what actions they should take to keep themselves and their families safe.”

The page, Michigan.gov/wildfiresmokeandhealth, has information on the health effects of wildfire smoke, how to sign up for air quality alerts and how to reduce risk based on the Air Quality Index (AQI).

AQI is a color-coded way for residents to see what the levels of some types of air pollution are in their area. The higher the AQI, the worse the air quality is and the more cause for concern. Live color-coded air quality conditions that indicate if air quality is healthy (green) or unhealthy (yellow, orange, red and purple), along with steps to protect your health, can be found at the AirNow website and mobile app.

Residents can also sign up for alerts through the EnviroFlash system. This subscriber system allows you to choose the area you would like to get alerts for, and it will send alerts directly to email or send a text message.

The AQI for Saturday is predicted to be unhealthy for sensitive groups (AQI orange) with some areas reaching unhealthy of all individuals (AQI red) in the western and central areas of the Upper Peninsula Saturday. It is possible these levels may move south to the rest of the state Sunday.

MDHHS has also set up a hotline for Michigan residents to ask health-related questions related to air quality issues. The number is 800-648-6942, and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

Anyone can get sick from exposure to wildfire smoke, but some people are more sensitive to particle pollution. Adults aged 65 and older, pregnant people, children, and people with lung and heart conditions may be more likely to get sick if they breathe in wildfire smoke. Symptoms from breathing in particle pollution can include wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. If you have asthma, follow your asthma control action plan or contact your health care provider if you have symptoms. If you have heart disease and experience these symptoms, contact your health care provider.

The most protective option when air is unhealthy is to stay indoors with air conditioning, reduce strenuous activities and limit outdoor activities. If you must be outside, N95 masks offer enhanced protection when used according to product instructions.

During unhealthy for sensitive groups (AQI orange) to unhealthy for everyone air quality events (AQI red), MDHHS advises the following:

AQI orange

• Everyone can enjoy being outside.
• People living with lung and heart disease, older adults aged 65+, pregnant people, and children should make activities shorter and less intense.

AQI red:

• Everyone should reduce long or intense activities outside.
• People living with lung and heart disease, older adults aged 65+, pregnant people and children are recommended to stay indoors and keep indoor air clean with MERV-13 or better air filtration to prevent breathing harmful particles of wildfire smoke.
• If you are unable to stay inside or you must go outside, consider using a protective N95 mask, especially children and pregnant people. Surgical and cloth masks will not stop you from breathing in the fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke. If you are unable to stay inside your own house, you can seek a temporary shelter location that has clean indoor air.

Michiganders can also help reduce their contributions to unhealthy air conditions during air quality events through the following actions:

• Do not add to indoor air pollution. Do not burn candles or use gas, propane, woodburning stoves, fireplaces or aerosol sprays. Do not fry or broil meat, smoke tobacco products or vacuum.
• Reduce outdoor air pollution. Reschedule any burning or activities that add dust, smoke and particulate matter to the air, including campfires.

• Reduce vehicle trips and vehicle idling as much as possible and reduce how often you refuel vehicles.

Additional helpful resources:

These resources may be helpful to you if you are looking to learn more about air quality in your area, specifically around wildfires and smoke impacts.

• US EPA Wildfires and Smoke map
• US EPA Interactive Map of Air Quality
• US EPA Fires and your health
• US EPA Particle Pollution
• EGLE Air Monitoring Information and interactive map
• Is burning allowed? and Michigan.gov/OpenBurning

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 10, 2023

MEDIA CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, WheatonB@michigan.gov

Michigan provides update on Medicaid renewals and announces dashboard that will show data on reenrollment
State continues efforts to preserve affordable health care coverage and get word out about importance of beneficiaries returning paperwork 

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) today unveiled an online dashboard available to the public that will show data on the renewal process for Medicaid coverage that restarted recently due to federal legislation. 

“We want to be sure that as many Michiganders as possible can continue to receive Medicaid coverage so that they can keep their families healthy or help people sign up for an affordable new plan,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “This new dashboard allows the public to view our progress as we renew Medicaid coverage for families who remain eligible.” 

Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries must renew their coverage over the next year to comply with federal legislation that requires states to resume the redetermination of Medicaid eligibility. Annual renewals were paused for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In Michigan annual renewals are being staggered to take place monthly starting in June and running through May 2024. 

The dashboard shows current data on renewals for June, which will change as the department processes additional forms. MDHHS has until the end of July to receive renewal forms from the June cohort and determine eligibility. The federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services allowed Michigan and other states to take new actions to preserve Medicaid coverage. As a result, MDHHS delayed disqualifying anyone from coverage for not returning the paperwork until the end of July.  

The dashboard – which will be updated every month – shows that as of July 6, MDHHS had renewed Medicaid or Healthy Michigan plan coverage for 103,540 people. That includes 30,456 renewals for enrollees who submitted their paperwork and 73,084 for people who were renewed by MDHHS because the department already had necessary information required for eligibility.

As of July 6, the department was awaiting completed enrollment forms from 100,161 people. There were 6,935 people who were determined to no longer be eligible for Medicaid, such as people whose income has increased and individuals whose cases were closed for administrative reasons – including lack of proof of updated income or exceeding the asset limit for eligibility. 

“While we’re happy that many Michiganders have maintained coverage, we want to emphasize how important it is for people who receive reenrollment packets to fill out their information and return it promptly,” said Meghan Groen, MDHHS senior deputy director for the Behavioral and Physical Health and Aging Services Administration and Medicaid director. “The department will continue to do all we can to reach people who have not responded so that they can keep their coverage if they remain eligible.” 

Additional MDHHS efforts to help Michiganders keep their coverage are possible as a result of the federal government releasing new flexibilities and strategies late last month to state officials to lessen the impact of the resumption of Medicaid renewals. During this additional time, the department will review and adopt additional strategies authorized by the federal government for outreach to beneficiaries to preserve their Medicaid coverage. 

This includes:

• Allowing managed care plans to assist enrollees they serve in completing and submitting their Medicaid renewal forms.
• Sharing lists with managed care organizations of their enrollees who are due for renewal or have not responded to provide outreach to those beneficiaries.
• Reinstating eligibility back to the termination date for people who were disenrolled based on a procedural reason – such as not returning reenrollment forms on time –and are subsequently found to be eligible for Medicaid during a 90-day reconsideration period.  

MDHHS advises families to return any renewal paperwork from the department even if they believe they are no longer eligible for Medicaid. Some members of a household can obtain health care coverage even when others are not eligible. For example, a child may be eligible for MiChild, even if their parent is not eligible for other Medicaid programs. Or some Michiganders may have income that is over the income limit for one program and still be able to obtain health care benefits through another program. 

MDHHS will send monthly renewal notices four months before a beneficiary’s renewal date and follow up with text messages, phone calls, and emails during their renewal month. 

More than 3 million Michiganders, including 1 million Healthy Michigan enrollees, benefitted from keeping their Medicaid coverage without redeterminations on eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

MDHHS will assess a household’s eligibility for all Medicaid programs – not just for the programs in which someone is currently enrolled, and also for each family member in the household. 

MDHHS advises all Medicaid enrollees to check their renewal month at michigan.gov/MIBridges.

Michiganders who no longer qualify for Medicaid will receive additional information about other affordable health coverage options available, including on HealthCare.gov. Affected Michiganders will be able to shop for and enroll in comprehensive health insurance as they transition away from Medicaid, and many Michiganders can purchase a plan for less than $10 per month.  

What Michigan Medicaid beneficiaries need to do to prepare:  

1. Make sure your address, phone number and email address are up to date at gov/MIBridges. You can also call your local MDHHS office. If you do not have an online account for MI Bridges to access your Medicaid case or report changes, visit michigan.gov/MIBridges to sign up for an account. You can also locate organizations that can help you by searching for community partners. 
2. Report any changes to your household or income. You can report changes at gov/MIBridges or by calling your local MDHHS office.  
3. If you get a renewal packet, be sure to fill it out, sign the forms and return it by the due date with any proof needed. NOTE: If you do not complete and return the renewal, you may lose Medicaid coverage.  

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is working with MDHHS to help impacted Michiganders get affordable health insurance if they are determined to be no longer eligible for Medicaid. DIFS can answer questions about purchasing a health insurance plan. Call DIFS at 877-999-6442, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or visit Michigan.gov/StayCovered to learn more. 

To ensure beneficiaries are aware of upcoming federal redetermination requirements and help them keep their coverage if eligible, the State of Michigan has:

• Launched a communications campaign in May 2022 to encourage Medicaid beneficiaries to make sure contact information is up-to-date in anticipation of renewals beginning again at the end of the public health emergency.
• Established a website and online stakeholder toolkit with materials and assets to help increase awareness about preparing for Medicaid eligibility renewals.
• Partnered with minority media outlets, faith-based and community leaders and advocates to further spread messaging about eligibility renewals beginning again.
• Put in place a May 2023 executive order from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer instructing all State of Michigan departments to work together with MDHHS and DIFS to lower health care costs and help Michiganders either keep Medicaid coverage or find affordable health insurance.
• Established a data-sharing agreement with the Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency to increase the number of people who can have their coverage renewed “passively,” reducing the need for some beneficiaries to submit renewal paperwork if the state already has their income and other information needed to determine eligibility.

More information about the how benefits connected to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency are changing can be found at www.Michigan.gov/2023BenefitChanges. 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 28, 2023

CONTACT: Lynn Sutfin, 517-241-2112, Sutfinl1@michigan.gov

Michigan families urged to check air quality,
take otherprecautions to protect health and safety
MDHHS sets up hotline to answer health-related calls during the week

LANSING, Mich. – As Michiganders enjoy the outdoors this holiday weekend and throughout the summer, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is urging families to take precautions to protect their health and safety. These include the usual advice of applying sunscreen and using insect repellant, and now also include checking air quality before they head out.

“We are experiencing a unique situation when it comes to air quality in Michigan,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Smoke from Canadian wildfires is affecting air quality across the state ranging from unhealthy for older and younger residents and those with underlying health conditions to unhealthy for all residents. We are urging Michiganders to check the Air Quality Index online regularly to determine if there are any actions they should take.”

The Air Quality Index (AQI) is a color-coded way for residents to see what the levels of some types of air pollution are in their area. The higher the AQI, the worse the air quality is and the more cause for concern.

Live color-coded air quality conditions that indicate if air quality is healthy (green) or unhealthy (yellow, orange, red and purple), along with steps to protect your health, can be found at the AirNow website and mobile app. Residents can also sign up for alerts through the EnviroFlash system. This subscriber system allows you to choose the area you would like to get alerts for, and it will send alerts directly to your email or send a text message.

MDHHS has set up a hotline for Michigan residents to ask health-related questions related to air quality issues. The number is 800-648-6942, and is available Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding holidays.

Currently the AQI for particulate matter is high in many parts of Michigan due to smoke and fires in the U.S., and particularly in parts of Canada. It is possible that the Canadian wildfires may last several more weeks. The AQI is also used for levels of other pollutants, like ozone.

Anyone can get sick from exposure to wildfire smoke, but some people are more sensitive to particle pollution. Older adults aged 65 and older, pregnant people, children, and people with lung and heart conditions may be more likely to get sick if they breathe in wildfire smoke. Symptoms from breathing in particle pollution can include wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath. If you have asthma, follow your asthma control action plan or contact your health care provider if you have symptoms. If you have heart disease and experience these symptoms, contact your health care provider.

The most protective option when air is unhealthy is to stay indoors with air conditioning, reduce strenuous activities and limit outdoor activities. If you must be outside, N95 masks offer enhanced protection when used according to product instructions.

During unhealthy for sensitive groups (AQI orange) to unhealthy for everyone air quality events (AQI red), MDHHS advises the following:

For people with heart or lung disease, pregnant people, older adults aged 65+, children and teens it is suggested to take the following steps to reduce exposure:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities.
• Keep outdoor activities short.
• Consider moving physical activities indoors or rescheduling them.

For everyone else:

• Choose less strenuous activities (like walking instead of running) so you don’t breathe as hard.
• Shorten the amount of time you are active outdoors.
• Be active outdoors when air quality is better.

During very unhealthy (AQI purple) or hazardous for everyone (AQI maroon) air quality, MDHHS advises the following for everyone:

• Stay indoors with the doors and windows closed using MERV-13 or better air filtration.
  • Seek shelter elsewhere if you do not have an air conditioner and it is too warm to stay inside with the windows closed. Call or text 211 or contact your local health department to find out if there is a shelter or cooling center nearby.
  • Use air filters to improve indoor air quality. Whether you have a central air conditioning system or a portable room unit, use high efficiency filters to capture fine particles from smoke. If you don’t have access to those filter systems, you can create a temporary air purifier with a 2012 or newer box fan and attaching a MERV-13 or higher air filter to it. Information is available online.
• Keep activity levels low.
• Avoid outdoor activities.
• Use N95 style masks if you have to be outside.
  • Surgical and cloth masks are not recommended as they are not designed to prevent breathing in the fine particulate matter in wildfire smoke.

Additional helpful resources:

These resources may be helpful to you if you are looking to learn more about air quality in your area, specifically around wildfires and smoke impacts.

• US EPA Wildfires and Smoke map
• US EPA Interactive Map of Air Quality
• US EPA Fires and your health
• US EPA Particle Pollution
• EGLE Air Monitoring Information and interactive map
• Is burning allowed? and gov/OpenBurning