Michigan Senate Candidate Mike Rogers Proposes Ending No-Cost Preventive Care and Creating High-Risk Pools

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers recently told supporters he is interested in ending no-cost preventive care for health insurance plans and creating "catastrophic funds" for the sickest Americans, two provisions that would undo key promises of the Affordable Care Act.

In a recording reviewed by Bridge Michigan, Rogers told supporters at a March 21 event in Macomb County: "You know, if you go up and have to pay the doctor $50 for your annual physical, that's probably okay, right?"

Rogers was responding to a question from an attendee who asked him what could be done to lower health care costs. He said he'd be releasing a full health care plan in the coming weeks that would "embrace the freedom of the free market" to start lowering prices.

His comments would affect millions of Michiganders who rely on preventive care services like blood pressure checks, diabetes screenings, and cancer tests that the Affordable Care Act guarantees at no cost to patients.

Preventive Care Costs

A major provision of the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to provide certain preventive care services — notably at no cost to the patient. Dr. Mark Fendrick, who directs the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design at the University of Michigan, said that when physicals and screening have out-of-pocket costs, people get them less.

"Our work shows very clearly that even increasing cost sharing by a few dollars leads to decreased utilization of services," Fendrick said.

But Fendrick also acknowledged Rogers is "exactly right" when he suggested free preventive services increase costs, though it's something Fendrick has strongly advocated for for decades.

"In the short term, costs go down" if you charge copays for preventive care, Fendrick noted, but overall, "the health of individuals and populations get worse."

Anand Parekh, chief policy officer at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, argued that if people skip preventive care because of costs, undiagnosed chronic diseases can spiral out of control and require expensive treatment.

"We end up paying for more costly care for things that could have been prevented, or at least treated at less expense," said Parekh, who played a role in formulating the Affordable Care Act's prevention initiatives.

Catastrophic Funds

In his remarks, Rogers also suggested the federal government establish "catastrophic funds" to lower premiums, appearing to embrace the concept of high-risk pools while noting "the sickest part of our society ends up consuming the most" medical services.

"So we're going to pay our premium based on what a normal life would be, not including these people who are really, really sick," Rogers said.

He added: "We take the really sick people and put them in this fund that we all pay a little bit. The government pays, the hospital pays, Medicare would pay a little bit."

Before the Affordable Care Act, nearly three dozen states had high-risk pools for people with significant medical needs who couldn't otherwise get insurance. The ACA essentially eliminated the need for those pools by mandating insurers cover patients with pre-existing conditions.

"This turns out to be expensive for consumers and government," said Parekh, who also served as the chief medical advisor at the Washington-based Bipartisan Policy Center.

Returning to high-risk pool policies would be "just so crazy," said Fendrick, telling Bridge the pools are among a series of ideas "that have been floated around conceptually for decades, but never had the policy or political chops behind" them.

Health Care as Key Issue

Health care has emerged as a key issue in the U.S. Senate race, with Democrats focused on expanding government's role. Rogers, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, is floating new health care reform proposals.

Rogers' campaign communications director Alyssa Brouille said in a statement: "Mike Rogers is exploring ideas with voters to increase affordability of health care, whether that's investing in rural hospitals, ensuring the wealthiest Americans cover their own copays, or improving transparency and access."

For Democrats, the millennial showdown in the high-stakes U.S. Senate race has already sparked intense debate. With expired subsidies pushing premiums higher, 34,000 fewer Michiganders signed up for ACA health insurance plans this year, according to federal data.

Medicaid changes under President Donald Trump could lead to 300,000 fewer insured people in Michigan, according to a nonpartisan think tank analysis.

Reaction from Advocates

The Michigan Democratic Party has strongly criticized Rogers' plan. "Mike Rogers' plan is to make health care more expensive and rip away care from Michiganders with pre-existing conditions," said Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Joey Hannum.

"Rogers thinks Michiganders should be forced to pay new out-of-pocket costs for basic services like blood pressure, diabetes and cancer screenings — meanwhile, he's fully on board with giving more handouts to multi-millionaires like himself."

Rogers' Broader Campaign

Rogers announced his candidacy for Senate in 2025 and has positioned himself as a Trump ally in the competitive Michigan race. His health care proposals mark a significant departure from the protections established by the Affordable Care Act, which has expanded coverage for millions of Americans across the state.

The Michigan Senate race is expected to be one of the most watched contests of the 2026 midterm elections, with both parties investing heavily in messaging around key issues including health care, abortion access, and the economy.