MDHHS Contracts - McKinsey & Company, 2020

Dear Mrs. Miller,

Thank you for your interest in public records of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (hereinafter “Department”).
Records Requested: To Whom It May Concern:

Pursuant to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, I hereby request the following records:

1. All contracts and subcontracts that exist/existed between the consulting firm McKinsey & Company (or any abbreviated or alternative version of the firm's name, including but not limited to McKinsey or McKinsey & Co.) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) between the dates of 1/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.

2. All formal or informal agreements that exist/existed between the consulting firm McKinsey & Company (or any abbreviated or alternative version of the firm's name, including but not limited to McKinsey or McKinsey & Co.) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) between the dates of 1/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.

Emails delivered to me under two previous FOIA requests (MDHHS FOIA request H014602-021922: https://www.muckrock.com/foi/michigan-117/tcf-regional-care-center-emails-20-124958 and MDHHS FOIA request H016452-082322: https://www.muckrock.com/foi/michigan-117/mckinsey-company-covid-19-models-reports-and-emails-2020-132888) show that consultants from the global consulting firm McKinsey & Company were involved in MDHHS's pandemic response and policy-making processes as early as March 27, 2020, when they appear to have been tasked with handling data. McKinsey consultants continued to communicate with state officials about policy throughout the year. That initial involvement, and the firm's continued communications, appear to imply that a contract or agreement must have existed between MDHHS and McKinsey, as it seems highly unlikely the firm would be in communication with government officials regarding public policy in the absence of an agreement. In light of that, I am hopeful that MDHHS will be able to provide some type of formal or informal agreements and/or contracts that might have existed during that time period.

Upon delivery of the requested documents, please also specifically certify that no other records related to this request exist.

The requested documents will be made available to the general public, and this request is not being made for commercial purposes.

Disclosure of the requested information to me is in the public interest because it is likely to contribute significantly to public understanding of the operations or activities of the government.

Because this request is being made as part of a news-gathering effort with a high likelihood of publication, I request a waiver of all fees.
In order to help determine my status for fees, you should know that I am a freelance journalist whose work has been published by print and digital news outlets and magazines in Michigan and in other states, as well as by national outlets. You can view my portfolio at www.erinmariemiller.com/clips.

Because the requested documents should already be prepared in an easily deliverable format, I assume there will be very little work involved in retrieving them and thus no fees. In the event that there are fees, however, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I am willing to pay up to $25 for the requested information. If there is a fee that exceeds that amount, please notify me prior to initiating any work on the request.

I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available, or CD-ROM if not.

Please deliver all responsive documents to this email address only.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 5 days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Erin Marie Miller

Upload documents directly: https://www.muckrock.com/
Your request has been assigned the following tracking number: H016578-090722. Your request has a legally received date of September 08, 2022. You will receive a response by the Department by September 15, 2022. Unfortunately, we are unable to expedite requests and the time permitted for response by the Department may be extended beyond September 15, 2022 by ten (10) business days.
In accordance with the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq, the Department provides copies of existing non-exempt records. Records which are exempt from disclosure under state or federal law will not be provided, or records may be redacted to separate exempt information. The FOIA does not require the Department to create new records or answer queries.
You can monitor the progress of your request at the MDHHS Public Records Center and you will receive an email when your request has been completed.
Regards,
Bureau of Legal Affairs,
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

RE: Public Records Request, Reference # H016578-090722

Dear Mrs. Miller,

This notice is issued in response to your request, legally received by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (Department) on September 08, 2022, requesting information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.

Your request is granted. Please login to the FOIA Records Center to access the responsive records. The Department has identified and included the responsive information falling within the scope of your request. To the best of the Department’s knowledge, information, and belief, these are all the records in the possession of the Department falling within the scope of your request. There is no fee for the request as search and retrieval were minimal, falling below the Department’s threshold for processing fees. The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures. Sincerely,
Ruth O'Connor
Bureau of Legal Affairs