Due in large part to progressive activism in Michigan, Gretchen Whitmer was elected governor in the November Midterms.

Almost immediately, Whitmer selected Dan Loepp, CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield, as a key member of her transition team. The undersigned feel this is unacceptable.

Healthcare was a priority issue for Michigan voters, who turned out in record numbers to elect Whitmer governor. Both we and our employers have seen higher premiums, making health care less affordable and accessible every day. We face routine denials for life-saving medication like insulin as well as life-saving procedures. We constantly find ourselves at the mercy of opaque network practices. Even with BCBS insurance, inflated deductibles make regular visits to the doctor for check-ups or work release notes an impossibility. Over 600,000 Michiganders are still without coverage. Dan Loepp oversees a company that makes its money by denying Michiganders vital services.

Our main concern is the level of influence Dan Loepp will have behind the scenes of the Whitmer transition. Loepp and Blue Cross Blue Shield have given campaign funding to both Democrats and Republicans to protect their interests. While Whitmer rejected all criticisms that she was in the pocket of insurance companies, the decision to add Loepp to the transition team where he can represent the interests of BCBS is corrupt business as usual. 

We the undersigned are asking Gretchen Whitmer to remove Dan Loepp from her transition team effective immediately. His addition was a betrayal to her voters and the activists who worked tirelessly to put her in office. We ask that Whitmer consider what is more important; our healthcare needs or the needs of Blue Cross Blue Shield.