The report finds:

• Michigan is not as healthy as it could be, and policymakers should be invested in making changes that work toward a healthier population. This is an issue worthy of government attention because governments have a basic duty to promote the well-being of the public and they are invested in economic vitality.  This interest also creates an incentive to avoid lost production and excessive private health care expenditures that can result from an unhealthy population.  Finally, the health of the population directly impacts many other government goals that span virtually every policy area. 

• Two broad themes emerge from the data presented: the interconnectedness of the social determinants of health and the centrality of financial resources in the story of Michigan residents’ lagging health outcomes. In every area of public policy, there is a nexus to health and well-being. When reviewing the ways in which social determinants of health intersect, the pathways can be traced back to whether or not an individual has the financial resources to obtain financial resources, either directly or indirectly.

• No magic solution or set of solutions exists to improve the financial resources of Michigan’s residents, but wide-ranging ideas exist across the political spectrum. Any sustained progress on this front will be the product of tradeoffs and deliberation from many stakeholders who recognize the connection between improving financial resources and health outcomes in the state. 

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