MDHHS Reports - 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 reports, including report research that was presented in an alternative format, prepared by McKinsey & Company and provided to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) between the dates of 1/1/2020 and 12/31/2020.

To help in your search, in an email dated June 9, 2020 delivered to me under MDHHS FOIA request H014602-021922 (https://www.muckrock.com/foi/michigan-117/tcf-regional-care-center-emails-20-124958), an official from MDHHS mentioned that the agency was anticipating a report from McKinsey & Co. related to the agency's "data clean up" efforts. That report was expected by mid-June 2020. Please make sure to include that report in your delivery. A separate email, dated June 10 and delivered under MDHHS FOIA request H016452-082322 (https://www.muckrock.com/foi/michigan-117/mckinsey-company-covid-19-models-reports-and-emails-2020-132888), notes that "there is some discussion about whether [the McKinsey/MSU report] will ultimately be issued in a report format." In the event that the report in question was not issued in a report format, please provide it in whatever format it was delivered to MDHHS.

Upon delivery of the requested documents, please specifically certify that no other records related to the 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 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: H016577-090722. 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

Good Morning,
Is it possible for you to provide the specific emails you reference in your request? Your links take me back to the whole thing with all of the emails.
Sincerely,
Melissa Barrett

RE: PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST , Reference # H016577-090722
Dear Mrs. Erin 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.

In order to determine what responsive records the Department might have, it is necessary to extend the time for response permitted by MCL 15.235 §5(2)(d) until September 29, 2022.

The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures.


Sincerely,

Bureau of Legal Affairs,
Michigan Department of Health and Human Services

RE: Public Records Request, Reference # H016577-090722 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 as to existing nonexempt records.

The Department’s best effort estimate for time to complete your request is fifteen business days.

The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures. Sincerely,
Melissa Barrett
Bureau of Legal Affairs

RE: Public Records Request, Reference # H016577-090722

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 partially granted and partially denied. Please login to the FOIA Records Center to access the records.
As to the granted portion, 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.

As to the denied portion, t here was no final narrative report as the information that was in earlier iterations of that ended up becoming the content for the webpage- Long Term Care COVID-19 Plan (michigan.gov). I did include the last known draft of that report in your Records Center along with some correspondence discussing it. In one of the emails, a call in code was redacted because r ecords of a public body's security measures, including security plans, security codes and combinations, passwords, passes, keys, and security procedures, to the extent that the records relate to the ongoing security of the public body are exempt under MCL 15.243(1)(u).

As to the denial, the Department is obligated to inform you that under MCL 15.240 §10 the following remedies are available:

1. Appeal this decision in writing to the Legal Affairs Administration for the Department of Health and Human Services, PO Box 30195, Lansing, MI 48909. The writing must specifically state the word “appeal” and must identify the reason or reasons you believe the partial denial should be reversed. The Department must respond to your appeal within ten days of its receipt. Under unusual circumstances, the time for response to your appeal may be extended by 10 business days.

2. File an action in the appropriate court within 180 days after the date of the final determination to partially deny the request. If you prevail in such an action, the court is to award reasonable attorney fees, costs, disbursements, and possible damages.

The Department’s FOIA policies and procedures are available at Policies and Procedures.

Sincerely,
Melissa Barrett
Bureau of Legal Affairs