Dillon touts his Mich health care plan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - House Speaker Andy Dillon was in Grand Rapids on Thursday to tout a money-saving plan that could change the way Michigan does business.

Dillon, D-Redford Township, hosted a media roundtable on public employee health care reform with Rep. Roy Schmidt, D-Grand Rapids, and Tim Melton, D-Pontiac.

He started talking about reforming public employee health care a few weeks ago. Now, Dillon said he will formalize those discussions by appointing a committee to hold hearings on legislation he says he will unveil next week.

Dillon said soon, he will present more details about the reform plan, which he said will not result in fewer benefits but will save the state money, possibly close to $1 billion, according to estimates.

Cutting services to balance Michigan's budget will have a negative impact on the future, Dillon said, adding that government reforms need to happen now.

"We're making cuts now that will have long-term disastrous cost to this state," Dillon said. "If we don't provide a quality of life, young people won't want to come and live here and raise their families here. So, we have to start looking at this stuff. It's not a matter of a luxury, well, should we do this or shouldn't we, I think it's absolute, our backs are against the wall, the gun is to our head. We have to do it."

Reforms like this, and others, are necessary is Michigan is going to return to good economic health, Dillon said.