A new five-part research series, supported by several CMF members and managed by the Governor's Office of Foundation Liaison (OFL), presents a data-informed vision of Michigan’s future based on current trends and trajectories across our state’s demographics, economy, workforce, infrastructure, environment and public services.

The third paper in the series was released last week and focuses on the health of Michigan’s population, factors that influence health, and challenges and opportunities for improving health.

The Citizens Research Council (CRC) of Michigan and Altarum published the report, Michigan’s Path to a Prosperous Future: Challenges and Opportunities, supported by CMF members Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation, Hudson-Webber Foundation, Grand Rapids Community Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Max M. & Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation, Michigan Health Endowment Fund, The Joyce Foundation, The Skillman Foundation and the Ballmer Group.

According to the new research, Michigan’s population is less healthy than the national average and health outcomes have been declining compared to the rest of the nation.

Michigan’s health outcomes have dropped from 32nd in the country in 2008 to 39th in 2022.

Michigan ranks below most states in life expectancy, self-reported health status and number of days impacted by poor physical or poor mental health.

Key takeaways:

• Beneath overall health outcomes are persistent disparities in health by race and ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography. According to the report, Black infant mortality rates in Michigan are 2.7 times White rates and life expectancy by neighborhood varies by as much as 29 years.
• Michigan compares favorably to other states in the traditional healthcare sector, with low rates of uninsured, lower-than-average costs and higher-than-average numbers of physicians per capita.
• Michigan’s health outcomes and life expectancy are below national averages, indicating a disconnect between the health care resources available and the health of Michiganders.
• Michigan’s public health system is not as well funded as other states and has experienced a loss in experienced workforce coming out of the pandemic. Michigan consistently ranks in the bottom 10 states for per capita public health spending and currently ranks 40th.
• Population and demographic trends offer challenges and opportunities for Michigan’s health.

As CMF reported, the executive summary and the first two papers in the five-part series of research were released in May and focus on Michigan’s population, economy, workforce and talent. The series will continue with reports on Michigan’s infrastructure, environment and climate, and state and local government.

The latest installment in the research series offers areas of focus for improving the health, well-being and competitiveness of the state, including:

• Maintain and Leverage Michigan’s Strength in the Healthcare Sector: The report highlights Michigan’s strengths in expanded Medicaid coverage, low commercial healthcare prices and spending and more. Strategies to leverage the state’s health care resources to address health disparities and respond to the needs of an aging population could include reviewing the scope of practice and licensure laws and regulations, supporting strategic use of telemedicine, and exploring ways hospital community benefit spending can best be used to address community needs.
• Strengthen Michigan’s Public Health System: According to the report, Michigan has an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen its public health infrastructure and workforce.
• Plans for the Needs of the Aging Population: Planning to support our state’s aging population can begin now to ensure Michigan has the health care and personal care workforce, facilities and financing that will be needed in the coming decades.
• Focus on Behavioral Health: Michiganders, on average, report being affected 5.3 days each month by poor mental health. Mental health conditions and substance use disorders can negatively impact educational achievement, labor force participation and on-the-job productivity, and strongly impact lifetime well-being.
• Work to Reduce Health Inequities and Disparities: According to the report, advancing health equity so that all Michiganders can experience good health means closing gaps in access to care, in the experience of care itself and in the social and environmental factors that affect health and longevity.

The report highlights that improving the overall health of Michiganders has multiple beneficial outcomes, including an improvement of overall quality of life, healthier children in order to thrive in school and healthier adults to contribute to a thriving Michigan.

Join Altarum, CRC and OFL on August 21 for a virtual conversation on the newest report about the health challenges facing Michigan and what we can do to improve Michiganders’ health. This virtual event is an opportunity to bring together leaders who are committed to improving the health of Michigan’s residents to share and discuss data that can support important policy solutions. It will include remarks from Neel Hajra, CEO of the Michigan Health Endowment Fund, a briefing on the paper’s key findings from Corey Rhyan, research director, Health Economics and Policy at Altarum and Eric Lupher, president of CRC, and questions from the audience. Register here.

The two remaining papers will be released in the coming months.

Want more?

Learn more about the executive summary and the first two papers in the five-part series of research that focuses on Michigan’s population, economy, workforce and talent. 

Explore the executive summary and the first two papers in the five-part series.