Episode 328- Michigan Health Care Affordability. with Bill G. Schuette

Michigan’s biggest challenges aren’t neatly separated into “economy” over here and “health care” over there. From the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, we sit down with Representative Bill G. Schuette of Michigan’s 95th District to connect the dots between population growth, good jobs, education outcomes, and what families experience when the health system is hard to afford.

We talk about what he’s hearing from constituents who want high-quality care without the constant worry of the bill that follows. That leads us into the real-world impact of regional health systems like MyMichigan Health: not only as a major employer and economic driver, but as a lifeline for rural communities where access can depend on whether a hospital is close enough to serve people quickly and consistently.

Then we get practical.  Schuette points to medical debt as a serious problem that can put a home or car at risk after an unexpected emergency, and he shares why Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and a stronger focus on preventive care can help families manage costs before a crisis hits. We also touch on the difficulty of passing policy in divisive times and why assuming good intent is still a necessary starting point if Michigan wants solutions that last.

If you care about Michigan health care policy, hospital access, rural health, and smarter affordability ideas, you’ll get a clear, grounded perspective here. Subscribe, share this conversation with a friend, and leave a review so more listeners can find the series.

Transcript

This episode of The Common Bridge is part of a special 21-part series of interviews recorded with healthcare leaders from across Michigan during the 2026 Mackinac Policy Conference, in partnership with the Michigan Health and Hospital Association. In these short conversations with his guests, Rich explores regulation, cost pressures, workforce challenges, and the future of healthcare in Michigan and around the country.

Richard Helppie

We are at the Mackinac Policy Conference on behalf of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, and of course, the Common Bridge podcast and Substack. I'm your host, Rich Helppie. Today we're going to be talking to Representative Bill Schuette. He's a state representative from the 95th District of Michigan, which is in Midland County. Representative, nice to see you.

Bill G. Schuette

Really appreciate the opportunity to be with you today.

Richard Helppie

You've been around the conference a little bit. What are some of the topics top of mind?

Bill G. Schuette

Yeah, I was just on one of the "What's the Fix" panels earlier, talking about our state's economic outlook, and I think the theme of this conference has been that Michigan's house is on fire. Things like our population isn't growing fast enough, we're not attracting enough good, high-paying jobs, and unfortunately, our reading scores rank 44th in the nation. So we have a lot of work cut out for us, but as a state legislator, that's something I'm going to dig in and work hard to deliver real results on.

Richard Helppie

There have been many conversations around healthcare.

Bill G. Schuette

Absolutely. In the state of Michigan, we hear a lot about the cost of healthcare and making sure we provide affordable, high-quality access to care. I know we're here recording for the Michigan Health and Hospital Association, and I'll say, in my district specifically, MyMichigan is headquartered in the Midland area, and MyMichigan does a great job of making sure residents in my district have access to high-quality healthcare, and that's incredibly important.

Richard Helppie

Indeed it is. When you think about the impact of that health system on your community and your constituents, do you think of it as a business impact, a quality-of-life impact, or some other way?

Bill G. Schuette

I think it's a little bit of both. As far as an economic driver, the largest employer in my district is the MyMichigan Health System. I'll also say it's great that people come to Midland to receive high-quality treatment and care. Midland is where I live, the population center of the district, but you start in Midland and go north in my district all the way up to Beaverton, and MyMichigan is the health provider, the major hospital system, and it goes all the way up to the Soo. That is so needed in a lot of our rural communities — to have hospitals that will step in and fill that gap.

Richard Helppie

There's been a lot of discussion around affordability.

Bill G. Schuette

Right. Everyone wants a high quality of care that's as affordable as possible, and those are solutions I'm always looking to find and work toward. That's everything from making sure we provide access to things like health savings accounts, and making sure we have the flexibility for Michigan families to not be worried about how they're going to pay for the ambulance ride, but instead be focused on how they can improve their life. Those are the differences we really want to make here.

Richard Helppie

If you were going to go to the legislature next session and advance a single cost measure for healthcare, what might you pick? There are a lot to choose from.

Bill G. Schuette

There certainly are a lot to pick from. I think medical debt is a huge issue in our state right now, and I don't think anyone should lose their home or their car because they had an unexpected medical emergency. So making sure we appropriately address medical debt is important. I'll also say one of the reasons I think health savings accounts are so great is that we're empowering everyday Michiganders to use those funds to address their health needs, and it can be holistic — making sure they're getting the whole wraparound care, not just emergency room visits, but the preventative care they need so they don't even have to go to the emergency room. Those are the types of things I think we need to work on.

Richard Helppie

Those would be great policies to advance. Any frustrations you've experienced yourself?

Bill G. Schuette

Yeah, I think obviously we live in divisive times, and that makes it hard to get policies done. But at the end of the day, you have to assume good intent and have as optimistic an attitude as possible, which isn't always easy in this day and age. But you have to pursue it regardless.

Richard Helppie

Well, thanks for fighting the good fight, on behalf of us. Are there any other comments you'd like to end the segment with?

Bill G. Schuette

I would just say we want our state to be younger, healthier, and growing, and I think our hospitals play a huge part in that equation. I want to make sure we're always working together to do so.

Richard Helppie

Well, I share your objectives. I'm not personally contributing to the "younger" part, but you can bring up the next generation.

Bill G. Schuette

No, no, no — it's a next-generation thing for sure. So, thanks so much.

Richard Helppie

Absolutely. We've been talking with Representative Bill Schuette of the 95th District, our state representative, and on behalf of the Michigan Health and Hospital Association and the Common Bridge podcast and Substack, this is your host, Rich Helppie, signing off.