December 2024 Newsletter

Happy Holidays!

The Board, Elyse and I wish you just the best holiday and a healthy and prosperous New Year! This is traditionally a time to reaffirm positive connections. Our hope is it will be possible for you to connect with those you hold dear.

~Ann and the FCOM Team~

FCOM 2024 Governor's Tribute

It's finally here!

If you have not had the opportunity to read it yet, please take a moment to read it and congratulate yourself and your team. This is a lovely tribute to the incredible work you do. You may even want to print and frame this for your clinic!

Click on the image below to download the PDF.

FCOM Executive Director Search Continues

FCOM continues its search for its next Executive Director.

The position is part-time, 30 hours per week. Experience working with a non-profit organization and grant writing is strongly preferred. The official office is in Zeeland, but remote work is allowed. Ability to travel is a must. Please see the Position Announcement for more details.

If you know anyone interested, please email current executive director Ann Heler at admin@fcomi.org or call 248-635-8695 (FCOM line).

Health Insurance Marketplace

CMS Kicks-Off Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period.

On November 1st, CMS announced the start of the Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment Period on Healthcare.gov. Open enrollment runs from November 1, 2024, to January 15, 2025. Consumers who enroll by midnight December 15 can get full-year coverage that starts January 1, 2025. Consumers who enroll after December 15 but before the deadline on January 15 will have coverage that begins February 1, 2025.

For the number of people covered and other Marketplace information:

https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/marketplace-2025-open-enrollment-period-report-national-snapshot

Resource

Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Navigation Program

Click on the image below to download.

House Bill 9495

The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties

on American Hostages Act

The bill passed the House on Nov. 22^nd and is currently (Dec 2) waiting to be presented to the Senate for approval.

This act will allow the Secretary of the Treasury, a position appointed by the U.S. President, the authority to designate a nonprofit as a “terrorist supporting organization” if they determine the group provided material support or resources to a terrorist group within the past three years. The Secretary would also have the authority to revoke an organization’s tax-exempt status and to decide when the designation would end. A letter would then be sent to the organization, not only notifying them of the accusation but also the revocation of their tax-exempt status. The organization then has 90 days to submit a rebuttal. The secretary would then decide whether or not the accusation was incorrect.

The sponsors were Claudia Tenney (R, New York), David Kustoff (R, Tennessee), and Bradley Scott Schneider (R, Illinois), with a co-sponsor, Dina Titus.

NAFC is more than aware of this bill and asked clinics to send a letter denouncing the bill and its implications to their House/Senate representatives. Thank you to the Michigan clinics that did that. NAFC members have seen those emails.

Any communication the FCOM office receives on this bill will be sent to all of the clinics.

We have an attorney looking at the bill for definitions, any clues to the specific organizations and their services they are referring to, and which, if any, of our clinics may be within its scope.

The idea of a clinic receiving a communication declaring it to be a “terrorist supporting organization” would be devastating.

I have attached the House Bill (click here). I will send the Senate Bill when it is brought to committee.

Legislative Updates

This year, all of the State Representatives were up for election/re-election. The committee assignments will be final and posted by, we hope, the second week in January. We will then begin to meet with representatives and MIHHS to discuss increasing our appropriation.

Broadband expansion – We continue to support all the work being done to extend broadband capability across the state and financial assistance for those who cannot afford access to the internet. MIHI is laying more cable and increasing access. If your area continues to experience spotty access, please continue to contact MIHI at help@mihin.org. The number of messages they receive about an area moves that location up on the “to-do” list of connectivity.

State Appropriations

We are still talking to relevant House and Senate members. See Legislative Update above.

I (Ann) had a very productive ½ hour conference call with one of Senator Mallory McMorrow’s legislative aides. There will be a follow-up as soon as the new House and Senate Committee member lists are completed (late January).

Medicaid Unwinding Continues

This from the last CMS bulletin (9/26/24)

1. “•States must complete all unwinding-related renewals for all beneficiaries enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP as of the end of the continuous enrollment condition by no later than December 31, 2025. • Beginning with renewals initiated in January 2026, all states must initiate and complete renewals timely, consistent with federal regulations as described below, and routine state processing timelines.”

2. See Michigan DHHS's website for current information.

FCOM Facebook Page

Gentle Reminder: We want to share your successes!

If you have anything you would like to post on the site: fundraisers, events you are doing in the community, awards or news articles your staff or the clinic has received or written, please send the information to Elyse at ecady@fcomi.org so we can post it on our page.

Also, we reached 600 followers! Thank you to everyone who made that happen. We'll increase our goal in the new year.