Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 11, 2023

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

Michigan releases 2023 Eat Safe Fish Guides to help residents learn about and plan for local fish consumption

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has released the 2023 update to its Eat Safe Fish Guides, which provide guidelines for eating locally caught fish.

Guidelines are based on levels of chemicals found in the portions of fish that people eat – typically the filets. Test results from the MDHHS Bureau of Laboratories are used to determine what is safe for people to eat over the long term.

“There are many health benefits to eating fish and the Eat Safe Fish Guides help individuals choose the fish that are best for them and their families,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive.

Chemicals in fish are a worldwide issue. The chemicals most commonly found in fish are mercury and PCBs. Additional chemicals, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), have also been found in fish, resulting in Eat Safe Fish guidelines for fish from certain Michigan water bodies. Like mercury, PFOS cannot be removed by trimming away the fat on the fish because the chemical is stored in the filet. By using the Eat Safe Fish Guide, Michigan fish consumers can be confident they are making informed choices about eating the fish they catch from their local lake or river.

The 2023 Eat Safe Fish guidelines include several new recommendations originally announced in January 2023 for certain locally caught smelt. The new smelt guidelines are based on elevated levels of PFOS found in the smelt.

The new Eat Safe Fish consumption guidelines for smelt are as follows:

• Lake Huron: 6 servings per year.
• Lake Michigan: 1 serving per month.
• Portage Lake in Houghton County: 1 serving per month.
• Gull Lake in Kalamazoo County: 2 servings per month.
• Higgins Lake in Roscommon County: 4 servings per month.

MDHHS previously issued a guideline for smelt from Lake Superior in May 2022, recommending that no one eat more than 1 serving per month of smelt from Lake Superior, due to elevated levels of PFOS. That guideline will remain in effect.

Originally issued in August of 2018, the ‘Do Not Eat’ fish advisory remains in effect for a large stretch of the Huron River due to elevated PFOS levels in fish. That advisory begins downstream from where the river crosses N. Wixom Road in Oakland County to where the river crosses  I-275 in Wayne County and includes the following waterbodies: Norton Creek (Oakland County), Hubbell Pond also known as Mill Pond (Oakland County), Kent Lake (Oakland County), Ore Lake (Livingston County), Strawberry & Zukey Lakes (Livingston County), Gallagher Lake (Livingston County), Loon Lake (Livingston County), Whitewood Lakes (Livingston County), Base Line & Portage Lakes (Livingston/Washtenaw County line), Barton Pond (Washtenaw County), Geddes Pond (Washtenaw County), Argo Pond (Washtenaw County), Ford Lake (Washtenaw County) and Belleville Lake (Wayne County).

In addition to updating the Eat Safe Fish Guide with new guidelines, the program regularly reviews the science behind its guidelines. This review ensures that Eat Safe Fish guidelines are based on the best available science to be health protective for people who eat fish caught in Michigan.

Unlike the Department of Natural Resource’s Michigan Fishing Guide, the MDHHS Eat Safe Fish guidelines are not laws or regulations, and no one is required to follow them. Instead, the guides are a free resource for those who would like information about which fish, and how much of those fish, are healthy to eat from various bodies of water across the state.

MDHHS also produces the Buy Safe Fish Guide to help residents choose seafood from local grocery stores, fish markets and restaurants that is lower in mercury. The Eat Safe Fish Guides and Buy Safe Fish Guide are available online at Michigan.gov/EatSafeFish.

For more information on how to buy, eat or prepare safe fish, or to get the 2023 Eat Safe Fish Guide for your region, visit Michigan.gov/EatSafeFish and click on Find Your Area or call the MDHHS Division of Environmental Health at 800-648-6942.

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Aug. 7, 2023

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

Governor Whitmer declares August as Breastfeeding Month
Aug. 8-14 – Indigenous Milk Medicine Week 
Aug. 15-21-Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Week 
Aug. 25-31 – Black Breastfeeding Week
Sept. 5-11 – Lactancia Latina  

LANSING, Mich. – Michigan is committed to encouraging a strong foundation for life by supporting breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents for the first year of their child’s life and beyond. As part of this effort, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is declaring August 2023 as Breastfeeding Month. 

“Breastfeeding can protect babies against allergies, sickness and diseases like diabetes and certain cancers,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical executive.  “Michigan is committed to helping breastfeeding parents reach their goals through community-based support such as doulas and WIC peer counselors to help diversify lactation support and increase breastfeeding rates in local communities across the state.”   

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding up to 2 years old. Human milk feeding results in improved health for infants, children and parents, including preventing breast and ovarian cancers, serious colds and ear and throat infections, gastrointestinal tract infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, sudden infant death syndrome, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and eczema, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes and leukemia – many conditions which excessively impact Black, Brown and Indigenous people.  

Although 88.4% of Michigan families start breastfeeding, the difference between white non-Hispanic initiation (98.8%) and Black, non-Hispanics initiation (76.2%) highlights the barriers that impact families of color. (PRAMS 2021). Some of those barriers include lack of access to supportive health care and childcare providers, and lack of paid work leave that leads to early weaning. Additionally, there are fewer lactation professionals from communities of color.  

The State of Michigan Women, Infants and Children program is celebrating National Breastfeeding Month with the theme “Into Every Drop.” WIC supports breastfeeding in the following ways:  

• Free, unlimited access to lactation consultants and breastfeeding peer counselors. 
• Training to all WIC staff to support prenatal and breastfeeding families. 
• Breastfeeding clients get more WIC foods than non-breastfeeding clients, including canned fish, and are able to stay on the program longer.
• At 6 months, breastfed babies receive infant meats and more fruits and vegetables.
• Many WIC clinics offer telehealth appointments. 
• WIC offers a breastfeeding warmline available seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 833-MIWICBF (833-649-4223). 

For more information, visit the Michigan Breastfeeding Network. 

Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 26, 2023

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

Medicaid beneficiaries will continue to have an extra
month to submit eligibility renewal paperwork
Michigan working to preserve health care coverage as renewal process resumes

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) announced today that Medicaid beneficiaries with upcoming deadlines for returning renewal forms will have an extra month to submit paperwork to avoid loss of health care coverage due to not responding. This timeline will continue monthly going forward through May 2024 and does include individuals with a Monday, July 31 deadline.

“MDHHS is taking proactive steps to ensure that Medicaid recipients have as much time as possible to submit their renewal paperwork,” said MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “Our goal is to preserve health benefits for all qualifying residents and will continue to use every option available to achieve that outcome.”

Today’s action is the latest effort by MDHHS to preserve Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan eligibility for residents as requirements for annual renewals have resumed following the COVID-19 pandemic. MDHHS will work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to delay procedural terminations for future months to ensure beneficiaries have adequate time to complete and submit renewal paperwork.

Previously, the department gave Medicaid beneficiaries who had been asked to return forms by June 30 another month, with a new deadline of Monday, July 31 before they would be disqualified for not responding. That approach was successful with approximately 15,000 additional renewals in July and, as a result, MDHHS decided to apply that strategy going forward to this first year of eligibility renewals after the pandemic.

That deadline for the June cohort doesn’t extend further based on today’s announcement. Additional information about new due dates can be found in the Eligibility Timeline.

Additional MDHHS efforts to help Michiganders keep their coverage are possible as a result of the CMS approving new flexibilities and strategies to state officials to lessen the impact of the resumption of Medicaid renewals.

MDHHS advises families to return any renewal paperwork they receive 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 will still be able to obtain health care benefits through another program.

Starting in June this year, Medicaid and Healthy Michigan Plan beneficiaries were required to renew their coverage, as was the case before the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, to comply with federal legislation.

Renewals for traditional Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan are staggered to take place monthly starting in June 2023 and running through May 2024. MDHHS will send monthly renewal notices three months before a beneficiary’s renewal date.

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.

During the federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, Congress enacted the Families First Coronavirus Response Act that required state Medicaid agencies to continue health care coverage for all medical assistance programs, even if someone’s eligibility changed. Michigan’s Medicaid caseload grew by more than 700,000 people during the public health emergency. This requirement was ended by the federal Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 signed Dec. 29, 2022.

MDHHS will assess a household’s eligibility for all Medicaid programs – not just for the programs in which an individual 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, comprehensive 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, MDHHS has launched a multimedia advertising campaign. This includes radio, audio streaming, outdoor, mobile and social media ads, including minority media outlets and stakeholder communications. The department is also working with other state government departments in its efforts to get the word out to beneficiaries.

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

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.