Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed yet another executive directive on COVID-19, ordering state agencies to push the vaccines, ensure insurance covers them, and remove any barriers that stand in the way.
Under her order:
Pharmacists and health care providers are now required to actively push the vaccine on residents – Whitmer is effectively forcing your doctor to pressure you into getting the shot whether you want it or not.
State agencies must provide official talking points on safety and efficacy, ensuring the message from Lansing flows straight into exam rooms and pharmacies.
Insurance regulators and MDHHS must guarantee Medicaid and all state-regulated insurance plans cover the cost of the vaccine.
Officials must search for and remove any obstacles that could limit vaccine access.
Whitmer claims the directive is about “maintaining access,” but it goes far beyond that. It enshrines a system where your personal health care provider is turned into a mouthpiece for state policy. Even as most Michiganders have moved on, Whitmer is making sure her administration can still tighten the screws on COVID-19 and put political pressure inside your own doctor’s office.
