Traverse City Record-Eagle. October 16, 2022.
Editorial: Chief justice hails case management, other innovations
Michigan’s Supreme Court Chief Justice Bridget Mary McCormack doesn’t stand on ceremony.
She was listening to oral arguments in court Thursday morning then, during the lunch hour, she ran over to the Radisson Hotel Lansing at the Capitol for an impromptu interview in front of a Michigan Press Association audience.
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Record-Eagle Publisher Paul Heidbreder, president of the MPA Board of Directors, welcomed McCormack to the stage where she joined Detroit Free Press Editorial Page Editor Brian Dickerson for a candid Q&A that was both illuminating and disarming.
What she can’t talk about, she didn’t. But what McCormack, 56, could discuss covered the gamut from ballot initiatives to redistricting to the election of judges.
She will be stepping down from the bench at the end of the year.
But, Dickerson asked, if there was an opportunity for a federal appointment, would she consider it?
“No,” she said. “I am not interested.”
McCormack was elected to the Michigan Supreme Court in fall 2012. “Ten years is enough,” she said.
Some of the cases coming before the court in that time have been high-profile, if not historic; cases, for example, that pertained to the voting rights and reproductive rights proposals on the Nov. 8 ballot. In those matters, the court was called upon to intercede and it did definitively, ordering state officials to do their jobs.
It’s a rare occurrence for the court to issue a writ of mandamus.
“It does feel like a sign of the times,” McCormack said. “The court is being pulled into disputes that it has never been pulled into before … to play a much bigger role than any of us wish we had to play.”
The state has been fortunate to have this competent jurist at the helm. She has been chief justice since 2019, a particularly turbulent time when the system had to navigate the pandemic, when courts were closed and cases had to be handled via videoconferencing.
McCormack was a Democratic party nominee, yet it was one of her Republican colleagues who called her “a voice of reason, compassion and thoughtfulness.”
“Politics is creeping into courts in a significant way,” McCormack noted, “but I don’t think that means your justices are going to deliver a partisan outcome.”
When she looks back on accomplishments, she mentions the establishment of the Justice For All Commission, which she described as the most innovative commission in the nation working on how to help people with legal problems who can’t afford to hire lawyers.
Another important development is a statewide case management system.
“Right now, I can’t tell you how many juveniles are in detention as a result of court cases in Michigan. That’s crazy,” she said. “How can we make good policy decisions if we don’t know … what’s happening in our courts?”
The urgent need for case management was noted, too, in the Record-Eagle’s “Kids In Crisis” juvenile justice series; the final part of the series appears in this edition.
A statewide case management system has been approved for funding by the Legislature and the governor, so it will be implemented — and that’s good for the people of Michigan, she said.
Dickerson mentioned that McCormack recently lost her father, who died of bladder cancer. “My Dad was awesome,” she said. “He entered the Marine Corps at 17. … He was a unique guy who cared about service. He volunteered for Hospice and was instrumental in raising enough money to build a center. He died in that center.”
Her next chapter will be as the chief executive officer of the American Arbitration Association, a nonprofit that, according to McCormack, is the biggest provider of alternative dispute resolution services in the nation.
Michigan’s chief justice doesn’t stand on ceremony — and she won’t be resting on her laurels either.
Iron Mountain Daily News. October 14, 2022.
Editorial: Guard against Medicare scams
Older adults are advised to protect themselves from scams and high-pressure sales tactics during the 2022 annual Medicare Open Enrollment period, which opens Saturday and runs to Dec. 7.
“Every year, Michiganders are targeted by criminals who try to take advantage of them and steal their money or personal information during the Medicare open enrollment period,” said Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox. “It is important that Medicare participants protect themselves by not giving out personal information, including their Medicare or Social Security Number, to anyone who tries to solicit their business over the phone, online, or at their front door.”
“We want to make sure that Medicare participants get access to the health care coverage they need without being taken advantage of by scammers,” said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Elizabeth Hertel.
The Michigan Medicare and Medicaid Assistance Program has certified counselors who are just a phone call away, offering advice on choosing the best Medicare plan to meet health care needs or help identify and avoid Medicare scams and deceptive sales tactics.
DIFS, DHHS, and MMAP have some tips for older Michiganders to protect themselves during this Medicare Open Enrollment period:
— Never give your Medicare number or other personal information to callers or visitors saying they are from Medicare. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services will never call or send someone to your home to ask for personal information or check your Medicare number. Agents cannot state that they are from Medicare; are approved, endorsed or authorized by Medicare; call on behalf of Medicare; or say that Medicare or any state or federal agency asked them to call or see you.
— You can get information on Medicare plans without providing an ID number. The only time you must use your Medicare ID number is when you enroll in a plan.
— Do not rely on caller ID. Scammers can use technology to make it look like they are calling from a legitimate business or government agency.
— Ignore anyone who contacts you saying you must join their prescription drug plan or you will lose your Medicare coverage. You may have to pay a penalty if you delay enrolling in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, but that coverage is voluntary.
— Don’t trust mailers that appear to be government communications. These may be advertisements for private companies that may have a disclaimer buried in small print.
— Remember that Medicare agents/brokers selling Medicare Advantage or Medicare Part D plans are not allowed to do certain things, including: make unsolicited calls, send unsolicited text messages or leave voicemail messages; approach you or market to you without you giving permission first. Also, they cannot go door to door, leave materials on your doorstep, or approach you in a public place, such as a park or supermarket.
Those who have questions or concerns about their Medicare coverage are urged you to contact Medicare directly at Medicare.gov or by calling 800-633-4227. If you or a loved one have experienced this type of scam or a high-pressure sales tactic, contact DIFS at Michigan.gov/DIFSComplaints or by calling 877-999-6442 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Friday to file a complaint.
Helping seniors navigate the complexities of open enrollment and avoid Medicare scams is the mission of MMAP, a free and confidential public service that offers a statewide network of more than 700 trained and certified Medicare counselors. MMAP is funded by the state and federal governments and is not affiliated with any insurance company. You can reach a MMAP counselor by calling 1-800-803-7174 or going to mmapinc.org.
Information related to scams identified by MMAP can be accessed at https://mmapinc.org/medicare-scams/.
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