2003 Publications

Michigan Hospital Finances: Fiscal Years 1998-2002,
Memo 1075 ( December 2003 ) 16 pages

During the five years from 1998 to 2002, Michigan hospitals in total experienced a steady decline in financial status resulting from growing contractual allowances and discounts, operating expenses which grew faster than net patient revenues, and the effects of a weakened economy on investment and contributory income.

A Recap of the FY04 Budget and Look Ahead to FY05 and Beyond,
State Budget Note 03-10 ( October 2003 ) 10 pages

The forecast of lower-than-anticipated General Fund and School Aid fund revenues for the State of Michigan fiscal year that began on October 1 portends increased fiscal pressure on the budget for fiscal year 2004-05, which will be submitted by the Governor in February. The report points to growth in Medicaid and corrections as the basic problems in the General Fund. Growth in these programs has begun to crowd out other state programs, such as higher education and revenue sharing. School aid, which has been protected to a higher degree than other programs, will be under great pressure in FY05, largely because school districts will be faced with an increase of at least 10 percent in their contributions to the Public School Employees Retirement System and increased health care insurance costs.

Community Education in Michigan,
Misc. ( October 2003 ) 24 pages

Proposed cuts to the adult education program and the 21st Century Program will lead to a decrease in community education opportunities in Michigan. Adult education programs may be able to offset budget cuts by charging tuition and after school programs may appeal to community or business partner to secure funding in the absence of federal support. A five-year pause in state funding for adult education in 1959 brought about systemic changes, some of which contributed to instances of abuse in the 1980s and 1990s. While Fiscal Year 2004 reductions will limit the scope of community education programs offered in the state, future prospects for restoring adult education programs, and perhaps also for establishing dedicated state funds for after school programs, will be shaped by how adequately accountability and responsiveness can be combined to meet the needs of learners in Michigan.

Protecting the Elephant,
Misc. ( August 2003 ) 3 pages

Funding the war on terrorism continues to be debated. One aspect of the debate revolves around the appropriate allocation of the funding burden between the federal government and states and localities. CRC President Earl M. Ryan addressed the costs of homeland security and their allocation in a presentation to the 2003 Annual Conference of the Governmental Research Association in Chicago.

Medicaid Eligibility,
Memo 1074 ( July 2003 ) 38 pages

       Full Document
       Text Only (first 13 pages)
       Appendices Only (pages 13 - 38)

Eligibility for Medicaid services is determined by complex formulas that take into account income, assets, age, disability, pregnancy, and other factors. In Michigan, approximately 1.3 million persons are currently eligible for Medicaid.

Income and asset limits for eligibility have not changed since 1996. Even so, the number of eligibles has increased each year since Fiscal Year 2000, largely as the result of unfavorable economic conditions.

It is possible to both increase and decrease the number of persons eligible for Michigan Medicaid by altering income and asset tests, expanding or terminating eligibility groups, or by obtaining waivers from the federal government granting exceptions to eligibility rules. In a budgetary context, however, Michigan data may limit analysis of the fiscal impact of such changes.

Medicaid Eligibility describes the many eligibility categories used in Michigan and the eligibility tests applied to each. It concludes that in the 1990s the major portion of persons eligible for Medicaid shifted from those receiving cash assistance to children and pregnant women.

The Problematic Fiscal Year 2003-04 State Budget,
Memo 1073 ( April 2003 ) 10 pages

Debate on the FY2004 State Budget is beginning to heat up and it is clear that agreement will not come easily. CRC has just released its first analysis of the FY2004 budget.

Medicaid Health Care Services,
Memo 1072, ( March 2003 ) 12 pages

This document seeks to bring greater understanding of the Michigan Medicaid program by describing the range of services provided and the allocation of funding to those services. In this way, it helps to clarify the options available to policy makers.

Local Ballot Issues in the 2002 General Election,
Note 2003-01, ( March 2003 ) 4 pages

Using a list of local ballot issues compiled by the Michigan Department of State and Publius.org, CRC analyzed the 412 ballot issues-45 county, 84 city, 269 township, and 14 special authority-to determine the kinds of issues voted on in the November 2002 general election and the outcomes of the votes.

Medicaid - What It Is and How It Works,
Memo 1071, ( February 2003 ) 4 pages

One of the most difficult budgetary problems facing the new Governor and Legislature is providing for health care insurance for low income persons in the face of a large gap between general fund revenues and expenditures. CRC has begun a new series of analyses of the Michigan Medicaid program.

Organization of State of Michigan Education Functions,
Memo 1070, ( January 2003 ) 4 pages

-- Summary of Report 335 --

Organization of State of Michigan Education Functions,
Report 335, ( January 2003 ) 41 pages

Several functions previously housed in the Department of Education were transferred out of the Department in the 1990s. Some of these functions, such as Disability Determination Services, have little discernible relationship to educational policy and have found more appropriate organizational locations. Others, such as the Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP), have a direct relationship to educational policy but were transferred to departments whose basic missions do not include education.

The Michigan Constitution prevents a clear line of accountability between the Governor and the Department of Education because the head of the department, the State Superintendent of Public Instruction, is appointed by the separately-elected State Board of Education.

The approach adopted was to recommend placement of activities related to preschool and elementary-education policy in the Department of Education and to recommend creation of an Office of Standards, Assessment, and Accreditation Services to carry out an enhanced quality assurance and oversight function.

The principal organizational changes that would occur under the proposed structure would be transfer of Career and Technical Preparation and Adult Education from the present Department of Career Development to the Department of Education and transfer of MEAP from the Department of Treasury and the Center for Educational Performance and Information from the Department of Management and Budget to the Department of Education. Other changes were proposed as well.

It is the CRC policy to make all publications online. If a document you desire is not yet online, please let us know of your desire. It can be put online with little turn around time. Documents may be requested at crcmich@crcmich.org.

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Last Updated July 25, 2006