Eastern Wayne Today

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has vetoed a bill preventing COVID-19-positive patients from being transferred to new nursing facilities.

Senate Bill 956, which Gov. Whitmer reportedly shot down at the end of July, was sponsored by Senator Peter Lucido (R- Mt. Clemens). It sought to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by prohibiting those with active infections from moving to a new facility, unless that new facility had a predetermined designated area for those patients.

The bill stipulated that nursing homes would only be able to house individuals with the coronavirus if adequate staff, supplies and other care-providing needs were available, a recent release issued on the Michigan Senate GOP website said. The nursing home would also need official sign-off from the state's Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).

SB 956 would also have required MDHHS to submit plans to Congress health policy committees that detail the strategies in place for COVID-19 management in nursing homes.

So far, every state that has followed guidelines for COVID-19 in nursing homes similar to those of the Whitmer administration has eventually course corrected to a strategy similar to SB 956.

“I am very disappointed and saddened that the governor vetoed this extremely important and common-sense legislation,” Lucido said in the release. “Politics should not prevail over the health and safety of our seniors and health care workers, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate and House to consider passing a veto override. We owe this to our citizens, especially the seniors and vulnerable members of our communities who cannot speak for themselves.”

Several Michigan nursing homes that have been acting as regional COVID-19 hubs were given low-quality ratings by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services, the release said. Additionally, more than 35% of COVID-19 deaths in Michigan have been nursing home patients.