2021 Governor's State of the State speeches: on Health Care

Mike Parson: Will expand Medicaid but be vigilant against fraud and waste

Like I have said many times, I will always uphold the will of the voters, and we will move forward with expanding Medicaid coverage to approximately 275,000 Missourians. However, it is important to remember that the costs of this expansion will be significant--hundreds of millions of dollars, in fact. This will have a major impact on other areas of our budget, and we must plan accordingly which means staying vigilant in maintaining the program's integrity by protecting against fraud and waste. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Michigan legislature Jan 27, 2021

Charlie Baker: Emergency telehealth order worked, now it's permanent

Telehealth visits--online or over the phone--were made possible by an emergency order we issued. Patients and clinicians took full advantage. People who used to put off that clinician visit because they were busy flocked to service. Over a million visits in less than nine months. It was convenient and safe--and it kept people healthy and out of the emergency room. But it wasn't permanent. Now it is, and we will all benefit from the flexibility and availability of this critical service. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Massachusetts legislature Jan 26, 2021

Michelle Lujan-Grisham: Mental health care is health care, we must meet those needs

The pandemic has underscored that our behavioral health system demands robust reform. CYFD this year created the nation's first text-only abuse and neglect hotline for children, providing them an outlet that research has shown they may be more comfortable using. My budget calls for a 800% increase in funding for suicide prevention services and programs, for both youth and adults. Mental health care is health care, and New Mexico must and will meet those needs, no matter the circumstances. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to New Mexico legislature Jan 26, 2021

Eric Holcomb: Now is the time to implement a managed care system

Now is the time to put this effort in place, including a managed care system similar to the ones 25 other states are using to integrate care across the entire spectrum to make it easier for families to navigate and drive outcomes in a transparent and accountable way. And for our eligible Hoosiers, we're fortunate that our Healthy Indiana Plan recently received a 10-year federal waiver to cover the 600,000 Hoosiers who are active participants in improving their health outcomes.

[OnTheIssues editor's note: a "managed care system" means partial privatization via MCOs; definition from Medicaid.gov]: "Managed Care is a health care delivery system organized to manage cost, utilization, and quality. Medicaid managed care provides for the delivery of Medicaid health benefits and additional services through contracted arrangements between state Medicaid agencies and managed care organizations (MCOs) that accept a set per member per month (capitation) payment for these services."

Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Indiana legislature Jan 19, 2021

Tony Evers: Fund state alternatives to ObamaCare

Georgia has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country, and many who are insured are struggling to pay for care. My budget proposal includes $76 million to implement Georgia Pathways and Access to make health care accessible for the first time to thousands and affordable for millions more by scaling back dependence on the failed promises of healthcare.gov, giving low-income Georgians a hand up, and increasing competition in the private sector to drive down costs. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to Georgia legislature Jan 14, 2021

Kim Reynolds: $30 million over two years to fund mental health reform

In the last three years, we have reformed our mental health system and we're continuing to make it better. I'm proposing to increase mental health funding by $15 million this year, and another $15 million next year, to fully fund those reform efforts. And I know that our mental health regions are working on innovative solutions to address the unique needs of children who have been affected by the pandemic. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Iowa legislature Jan 12, 2021

Kristi Noem: Make pandemic rules for telehealth permanent

Another tool we greatly expanded access to is telehealth. People have used tech services like these more than 70,000 times in South Dakota's Medicaid program alone. This year, I'm going to ask that you support legislation to make these flexibilities permanent. In 2021, we should build on telehealth advancements and continue to find ways to remove government red tape in health care. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to South Dakota legislature Jan 12, 2021

Andrew Cuomo: Telehealth invaluable, but must ensure accessibility to all

COVID showed us the limits of our health system, but it also fostered innovation. Telemedicine was invaluable in keeping people remote, while providing care. Public access was uneven and inequitable. At the recommendation of the Reimagine New York Commission, I'm introducing the most comprehensive telehealth bill in the nation to ensure accessibility to all New Yorkers. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the New York legislature Jan 11, 2021

Brad Little: Expanded telehealth access, let's make changes permanent

We lifted regulations to expand telehealth access. It worked. The use of telehealth rose by 4,000%, and Idahoans in all parts of the state could continue to access care from the safety of their homes. The pandemic opened the door to great advances in telehealth access. Let's work together to make those red tape cuts permanent! Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Idaho legislature Jan 11, 2021

Doug Ducey: Once we're all vaccinated we can get on with life

If last year was the year of the virus, this year will be the year of the vaccine. And while local public health officials are working hard, we need to work faster. So now, even more resources will be brought to the fore. At my direction, the state has launched a 24/7 vaccination site at a large and notable location: State Farm Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. Everyone needs this vaccine. And the sooner we all receive it, the more quickly we can get on with life as it should be. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Arizona legislature Jan 11, 2021

Andy Beshear: COVID: Troubling that a public health crisis was politicized

We must move past any remaining denial or rationalizations. That a public health crisis has been politicized, even as thousands died, is troubling for both our state and our nation. Failure to take this virus seriously at this late date disrespects the memory of those we have lost, disrespects the pain of those who are grieving and disrespects the deep sacrifices so many have made in this war. It also threatens to create much more pain, more death and more disruption, all of which can be avoided. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Kentucky legislature Jan 7, 2021

Phil Scott: Time to cap annual increases, prioritize prevention

We also need to contain healthcare costs in the long run. With that in mind, I believe it's time to set a cap on annual increases and continue moving to a system where we pay for quality, not just quantity--and do so in a way that prioritizes prevention on the part of the patient as well as the provider. These are the goals of the All-Payer Model, which you might have heard about over the last three years. Source: 2021 State of the State Address to the Vermont legislature Jan 7, 2021

The above quotations are from 2021 Governor's State of the State speeches. Click here for definitions & background information on Health Care. Click here for other issues (main summary page). Click here for more quotes by Eric Greitens on Health Care. Click here for more quotes by Eric Holcomb on Health Care.
*Candidates and political leaders on Health Care:*
*Gubernatorial Debates 2020:* DE: vs.Carney(incumbent) vs.Williams(D) IN: vs.Holcomb(incumbent) vs.Melton(D) vs.Myers(D) MO: Parson(incumbent) vs.Galloway(D) vs.Neely(R) MT: Bullock(retiring) vs.Fox(R) vs.Perry(R) vs.Gianforte(R) vs.~~Stapleton~~(R) vs.Olszewski(R) vs.Neill(D) vs.Schreiner(D) vs.Cooney(D) vs.Williams(D) NC: Cooper(incumbent) vs.Forest(R) vs.Grange(R) ND: Burgum(incumbent) vs.Coachman(R) vs.Lenz(D) NH: Sununu(incumbent) vs.Volinsky(D) vs. fsFeltes(D) PR: Rossello(D) vs.Garced(D) vs.Pierluisi(D) UT: Herbert(retiring) vs.Huntsman(R) vs.Cox(R) vs.Burningham(R) vs.Newton(D) vs.Hughes(R) VT: Scott(incumbent) vs.Holcombe(D) vs.Zuckerman(D) WA: Inslee(incumbent) vs.Bryant(R) vs.Fortunato(R) WV: Justice(incumbent) vs.Folk(R) vs.Thrasher(R) vs.Vanover(D) vs.Smith(D) vs.Ron Stollings(D)	*Gubernatorial Debates 2021:* NJ: Murphy(D) vs.Ciattarelli(R) VA: Northam(D,term-limited) vs.Herring(D) vs.Chase(R) vs.Fairfax(D) *Gubernatorial Debates 2019:* KY: Bevin(R) vs.~~Goforth~~(R,lost primary) vs.~~Adkins~~(D,lost primary) vs.Beshear(D) vs.~~Edelen~~(D,lost primary) LA: Edwards(D) vs.Rispone(R) vs.Abraham(R) vs.~~Kennedy~~(R,declined) MS: ~~Bryant~~(R,retiring) vs.Foster(R) vs.Hood(D) vs.Reeves(R) vs.Waller(R)
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Page last updated: Feb 11, 2021