The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Michigan's senior population will almost double between now and 2030. Michigan is a graying state making the protection of seniors more important than ever. Mike Cox is a strong advocate for seniors whose tenure as Attorney General has been marked by innovative and effective strategies to safeguard seniors.

Attorney General Cox Fought for Background Checks for Employees in Nursing Homes

As Attorney General, Mike Cox made regulating nursing homes and protecting Michigan seniors a top priority. Cox worked to get legislation passed to ensure that nursing home health care workers pass criminal background checks before they work with our seniors.

Cox Stops $900 Million in Increases from Blue Cross Blue Shield

Mike Cox has successfully opposed over $900 million in Blue Cross Blue Shield rate increases for seniors and Michigan consumers. As Governor, Mike Cox will continue to fight for lower health care rates for consumers. Cox has battled both Blue Cross and occasionally the Granholm-Cherry administration for lower rates. Cox is determined to keep health care rates as low as possible. Further, Mike Cox will continue to fight for the traditional oversight roles of the Governor and the Attorney General over Blue Cross Blue Shield. Mike Cox will also continue to use the bully pulpit to engage other interested parties and the public in the ongoing debate over health care reform.

Last winter, Mike Cox forged a broad coalition to oppose a plan being rushed by Blue Cross through the legislature that would have essentially gutted oversight of rate hike requests by both the Governor's Office through the Office of Financial and Insurance Regulation (OFIR) and the Attorney General's Office. The Blues plan would have also raised rates on seniors, new customers and individuals, and tripled the Blues' profit margins. Cox's leadership stopped the bills cold.

When a new legislature convened, Cox outlined ten guiding principles for common sense, long-term health care reform. Included among the reforms are maintaining the oversight role by both the Governor and AG; shortening the time that pre-existing conditions are excluded from coverage; creating a catastrophic health care fund to assist those most in need; and creating an annual health care cost report to hold all insurers accountable.

Mike Cox forces the Creation of a Presiption Drug Cost Website for Michigan Seniors and Consumers

Attorney General Cox first called for a presiption drug cost website in 2004 to enable the uninsured and seniors to shop online for drugs and compare costs. After 3 years of resistance from the Granholm-Cherry administration, the Department of Community Health finally put 150 presiption drugs on an interactive, publicly searchable website, www.michigandrugprices.com, that permits citizens anywhere in Michigan to compare prices online for commonly prescribed drugs. This website has allowed thousands of our citizens to save millions of dollars.

Cox Creates Senior Brigade

Mike Cox continues to advocate for seniors with a new comprehensive website and public awareness program, the Senior Brigade, to provide a one-stop shop for all seniors. Cox's Senior Brigade website, www.seniorbrigade.com, is a clearinghouse for helpful information on consumer protection, financial matters, health care issues and veterans' services and features a statewide calendar of events for seniors. It provides links to a wide variety of state and federal programs to help make informed decisions that can benefit you and your family. Ambassadors of the Senior Brigade also visit nursing homes and local senior groups to make residents aware of the information on the website and provide helpful tips for seniors.

Mike Cox Collects $162 Million from Drug Companies for Consumer Protection and Antitrust Settlements

Because of Cox's efforts to crack down on this fraud, waste, and egregious conduct, Michigan has recovered a combined amount of more than $162 million from drug companies, pharmacies, and antitrust and consumer protection recoveries.

As Governor, Mike Cox will continue to protect Michigan seniors. Mike Cox has an aggressive agenda to ensure Michigan seniors' interests are safeguarded.