The United States is the only high-income country without some form of universal health insurance. In addition to national proposals for universal coverage, over 20 state legislatures have introduced proposals for health insurance reform including single-payer plans. In this Omenn-Darling Health Policy Talk, experts will discuss the design and potential benefits of state-based single payer health insurance systems along with their economic and political challenges. Moderated by John Ayanian, director of the University of Michigan Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, panelists include Michigan state representative Carrie Rheingans, Ohio state representative Michele Grim, Robin Lunge from Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board, and Ford School professor and health policy expert Paula Lantz.

Speaker bios:

Michigan State Representative Carrie Rheingans is serving her first term representing the 47th House District. As the only Michigan legislator with a Master of Public Health, she believes that every policy issue is a health issue. Before being elected to office, Rep. Rheingans was an adjunct instructor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work, teaching courses in health policy, community organizing, and policy advocacy. In addition, she worked for many health and health policy organizations, including the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), the Center for Health Research and Transformation (CHRT), and multiple HIV and AIDS-related organizations across southeast Michigan. While at MDHHS, Rep. Rheingans increased substance use disorder Medicaid provider capacity. During her time at CHRT, she assisted with the roll out of the Affordable Care Act and integrating medical, behavioral, and social services in Livingston and Washtenaw Counties. And she has direct experience working in in syringe access programs, community outreach and safer sex education, and HIV testing and counseling.

Dr. Michele Grim is State Representative in Ohio House District 43. During her freshman term in the legislature, she has advocated for health care for all, comprehensive gun legislation, laws to keep domestic violence survivors safe, and protecting child influencers. She is one of the joint sponsors of the Ohio Health Care Plan which would create universal health care in the state of Ohio. Representative Grim was an at-large member of the Toledo City Council in 2022. While on council, she led the effort to allocate American Rescue Plan dollars for medical debt relief for tens of thousands of Toledoans and Lucas County residents. Before her work as a legislator, she served in various roles at non-profit, government, and academic institutions. She is also a committed leader in the struggle to end violence
against women who volunteered as a rape crisis counselor beginning in her teens coordinated sexual assault education and prevention programs at the University of Toledo.

Robin J. Lunge, JD, MHCDS is a Member of Vermont’s Green Mountain Care Board. The Board is charged with regulating the health care industry, including hospitals and insurers. Previously Lunge served as Governor Shumlin’s Director of Health Care Reform for close to 6 years, coordinating health reform efforts for his administration.
She also worked as a nonpartisan staff attorney at Vermont Legislative Council for 8 sessions and provided drafting and staff support in health and human services issues to members of the Vermont Legislature. Lunge worked at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington D.C. as a senior policy analyst on public benefits issues in 2007. Her areas of expertise are federal and state public benefit programs, health care, and health care reform.