By John Raffel
Correspondent
ALLEGAN – Allegan County Board of Commissioners chairman Jim Storey reported the state legislature last week approved $1.2 billion in healthcare aid for Michigan residents, including funding for COVID-19 early treatment and various testing supports.
A total of $29.7 million is targeted to assist local health departments, such as Allegan’s, to staff testing and contact tracing activities, Storey said in his weekly newsletter.
“According to the Michigan Association of Counties, the Governor’s staff has indicated she will sign the bill,” Storey said. “The legislative action is timely as the health department’s latest estimate is that it will run out of funds for certain state-required, contract tracing and public information activities in the next two months. Members of the Board of Commissioners have been urging the health department to step up their efforts to inform residents of no cost, free Covid testing and Covid vaccine providers throughout the county.
“The health department reports it has $600,000 in categorical assistance for vaccine administration by contracted staff, but so far has not been allowed by federal or state agencies to transfer the money for contract tracing and other Covid programs, where the money is running low. Commissioners have noted the obvious duplication of spending public funds for free vaccine and testing services already widely provided by pharmacies and other merchants. So far, the department appears to have ignored the commissioners’ suggestion in this area.”
The health department, Storey pointed out. has an annual budget of $3.5 million, of which $900,000 is provided by Allegan County taxpayers.