Feb 12, 2025 MI House Health Policy Committee - Interstate Medical License Compact

Hearing cancelled, per today's email notification at 2:24 pm.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Senate has passed the equivalent bill, SB 60, with zero dissent.

The proof of Michigan Legislature health freedom savvy is up for grabs when it hits the House.

The unchanged agenda is back on for this week.

Wednesday, February 19, 2025      9:00 AM

Location:

Room 519, House Office Building

Contact:

Hazel Campbell-Crawley, Committee Clerk,

517-373-5671

hcrawley@house.mi.gov

House Bill 4032, sponsored by Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Grosse Ile), passed the full House 106-1 on March 6th.

Yet a third bill is in the running on this topic. As of June, it passed the Senate, went through House Health Policy, and rests in the House Rules Committee.

Senate Committee on Health Policy

Tuesday, May 20, 2025       9:30 a.m.

AGENDA

SB 303 Sen. Hauck Health occupations: physicians; interstate medical licensure compact; update.

And any other business properly before the committee.

The clock is ticking for 3,000 doctors practicing in Michigan.  Another 5,000 telemedicine practitioners are also in jeopardy:

https://www.michigannewssource.com/2026/02/more-than-8000-doctors-treating-michigan-patients-could-be-sidelined-in-a-few-weeks/

More Than 8,000 Doctors Treating Michigan Patients Could Be Sidelined in a Few Weeks
By J.P. Isbell - February 24, 2026

LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – More than 8,000 physicians could lose their legal authority to practice in Michigan if lawmakers fail to act before a March 28 deadline. The looming disruption stems from Michigan’s lapse in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC), a voluntary multi- state agreement that streamlines medical licensing for doctors including those who practice across state lines. The lapse occurred after a March 2025 “sunset” provision automatically took effect when renewal legislation stalled in the previous session of the Michigan legislature.

Without reinstatement, physicians licensed under the Compact – including over 5,000 who have been issued licenses to practice in Michigan through telemedicine and over 3,000 Michigan physicians who have Michigan as the State of Principal License (SPL) – could face immediate interruption in their ability to treat patients.

The Compact creates an expedited pathway for qualified physicians to become licensed in multiple U.S. states. Instead of doing separate applications in each state – a process that can take months – physicians can apply through the Compact to streamline and significantly speed up the process.

The clock is ticking.

According to the IMLC’s website, “Unlike most other IMLCC Member-State legislation, Michigan’s MCL Section 333.16189 included a ‘sunset’ provision that was effective on March 28, 2025. Since the legislation to extend or remove the sunset provision failed in the 2025 legislative session, the sunset provision went into effect.”

They go on to say, “The withdrawal process takes 12 months” and they add that “on March 28, 2026 over 5,000 physicians in Michigan will lose their license to practice. These physicians see about 20 patients a day. This means that on March 28, 2026 approximately 100,000 patients will need to find a new physician.”

The organization estimates that roughly 30% of Michigan’s physician workforce could be affected if the Legislature fails to pass legislation allowing the state to rejoin the IMLC. Doctors who secured their Michigan licenses through the Compact would be required to reapply through the state’s traditional licensing process if Michigan exits the agreement.

What’s at stake for patients.

The Michigan Osteopathic Association (MOA) is warning of delayed surgeries and reduced access to specialists – particularly in rural and underserved communities where physician shortages already strain the system.

“The stakes could not be higher for Michigan patients and physicians,” says Dr. Kevin Beyer, president of the MOA, urging swift legislative action. “Without action by March 28, thousands of physicians will lose their ability to practice in Michigan, resulting in canceled appointments, interrupted treatment plans, and reduced access to care across our state.”

The Compact is especially critical for telehealth, which expanded dramatically during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Many Michigan residents now rely on out-of-state specialists for mental health, oncology, cardiology and other critical care services.

Bipartisan support – but time is running out.

At least two bills were introduced that were aimed to fix the problem but neither bill has cleared the opposite chamber’s committee. There is House Bill 5455, sponsored by Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Grosse Ile Township), which passed the House 102-2 on February 4 and is awaiting action in the Senate Government Operations Committee. There’s also an older and similar Senate Bill 303, sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mt. Pleasant), which passed the Senate 36-1 in May of 2025 and still sits in the House Rules Committee.

Both measures remove the sunset clause and restore Michigan’s participation in the Compact. Despite overwhelming bipartisan votes in each chamber, neither bill has cleared the Legislature in time to guarantee uninterrupted participation.

Tight deadline complicates fix.

Michigan News Source recently spoke with Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington) about the situation and he said the legislative delay could be either procedural or political. He noted that lawmakers plan to discuss the issue this week, adding that rank-and-file legislators are taking it seriously. According to Green, there are many “moving parts,” including ensuring any proposal is structured in a way that the governor will not veto.

Any legislation must pass both chambers and be signed by the governor by March 28. Complicating the timeline, lawmakers are scheduled to begin spring break on March 20, meaning leadership will need to move quickly if a bill is to clear the legislature before then.

Green added that he was “looking forward to getting Michigan competent and quality care and removing the barriers to have our professionals be able to serve our residents.”

Optimism aside, unless lawmakers act soon, Michigan patients, not politicians, will feel the immediate impact. With appointments, surgeries, and ongoing treatments hanging in the balance, the March 28 deadline is no longer a bureaucratic footnote. It’s a countdown that could disrupt care for thousands across the state.

The sky is not falling for physicians, telehealth, or other patients. Centrists who want control gathered under one roof, preferably a global one, would receive a setback if IMLC expires.

Clearly, the left-sliding Michigan State Medical Society is in panic mode trying to regain lost membership/ leverage as it reorganized last week, issued a blizzard of press releases, and ensured its self-advocacy was promoted on Facebook and across national mainstream media.

Besides pushing for IMLC renewal, MSMS is also asking the Michigan legislature to enrich standard medicine's golden insurance handcuffs by tripling reimbursement.

Today's MDHHS email outlines physicians' path to staying licensed if IMLC expires.

All Providers,

Michigan Expedited Medical Compact Licensees

Physicians will not be able to renew Michigan Expedited Medical Compact after March 28, 2026, absent further action by the legislature to reinstate Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical License Compact (IMLC).

Physicians who hold a Michigan Expedited Medical Compact license will be able to continue to practice under that license through March 28, 2026. After March 28, 2026, any Michigan Expedited Medical Compact licenses will no longer be valid. Any related Michigan Controlled Substance license will also no longer be valid after March 28, 2026.

Physicians who currently hold a Michigan Expedited Medical Compact license and wish to continue to practice in Michigan after the Compact license is no longer valid, may apply for a MD or DO license in the state of Michigan by visiting the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs website.

Individuals with Michigan as the State of Principal License

If Michigan is listed as the state of principal license, physicians must maintain a state of principal license through the compact under Compact Rule 4. Physicians will not be able to renew their license in any state through the compact unless action has been taken to redesignate their state of principal license prior to Michigan’s exit from the Compact on March 28, 2026.

To redesignate the state of principal licensure, visit the IMLC website and click on “REDESIGNATE”. The IMLC has prepared an educational video that walks through the redesignation process.  It is recommended to watch this instructional video prior to beginning the process.

Additional questions should be directed the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs at BPLHelp@michigan.gov or by phone at (517) 241-0199.

• LARA Notification Compact Licenses.pdf

It's a little boring to go back to Michigan licensing, but it's not arduous. Especially since a recent bill cut continuing education requirements in half. (Yes, MSMS also advocated for that.)

An agreement to continue Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) has been reached between House Speaker Matt Hall and  Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks:

https://bridgemi.com/michigan-government/sparing-8000-doctors-michigan-lawmakers-reach-medical-compact-deal/

Sparing 8,000 doctors, Michigan lawmakers reach medical compact deal
By Jordyn Hermani and Robin Erb - March 19, 2026

• Michigan lawmakers agree to pass bill next week continuing the state’s participation in an interstate medical compact
• Without renewing the compact, set to expire March 28, an estimated 8,000 doctors would see medical licenses lapse
• Medical officials welcomed the news, but say they are waiting to celebrate until the bill passes

LANSING — Michigan legislative leaders say they’ve reached a deal that will allow an estimated 8,000 doctors to continue practicing medicine across the state, putting an abrupt end to months of consternation over the fate of upcoming medical treatments for thousands.

The state Senate is expected to finalize legislation on Tuesday that would renew Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact — days before it is set to expire.

Both the Democratic-led Senate and the Republican-led House had approved bills to renew the compact with overwhelming, bipartisan support. But legislation had stalled for months amid a strictly political dispute: Which lawmaker’s name would be on the bill that passed?

House Republicans say that will be state Rep. Rylee Linting of Wyandotte. Speaker Matt Hall had alleged Democrats did not want to pass her version of the bill because they have a “problem” with her.

Linting is up for re-election this fall in a competitive district.

“We have confidence that Gov. (Gretchen) Whitmer will sign that bill,” Hall, R-Richland Township, said in a Thursday evening press conference, adding: “The 8,000 doctors whose licenses were at risk — everything is going to work out for them to continue to practice in Michigan.”

Absent quick passage and a signature by Whitmer, medical licenses under the compact are poised to lapse on March 28, meaning those doctors couldn’t legally practice medicine in a state already facing severe shortages of doctors and other health care providers.

That, in turn, would mean tens of thousands of doctors’ appointments on March 29 “don’t happen,” Emily Hurst, a critical care medicine physician at Henry Ford Health and past president of the Michigan Osteopathic Association, previously told Bridge.

On Thursday, she and others said the announced legislative deal was welcome news, but they stopped short of celebrating.

The statements initially released Thursday were one-sided — by Republicans, noted Marschall Smith, executive director of the Denver-based Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission.

He called Hall’s announcement “very encouraging,” but added: “There are still a lot of moving parts. There’s no ink on the paper yet.”

He said the compact stopped taking requests for Michigan licenses at 6 p.m. Wednesday and is ready to notify 8,000 doctors that, as of March 29, they no longer have licenses to practice.

Under Linting’s bill, Michigan will renew its participation in the compact — an agreement that allows doctors to practice medicine across state lines.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, confirmed the upper chamber will vote on the House bill on Tuesday.

“The resolution we achieved today means that thousands of people will receive uninterrupted care and physicians will be able to continue to practice in Michigan,” Brinks said in a statement sent to Bridge Michigan.

But, Brinks added, the matter “could have been easily settled months ago” with bipartisan legislation the Senate approved in May 2025 — a bill sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck, R-Mount Pleasant — “but it became clear that the speaker was unwilling to take that path.”

Michigan has been a member of the licensing compact since 2019.

Whether the House passed the Senate’s bill, or the Senate passed the House’s bill, was the major source of conflict when it came to renewing Michigan’s participation in the compact.

Meanwhile, many doctors have begun the months-long process of obtaining their Michigan license the traditional way, which includes submitting fingerprints and collecting medical education and other records, Hurst, the doctor, told Bridge Thursday.

She and others warned that the potential disruption to health care could be seismic as thousands of doctors wait for those licenses to be approved without the compact in place.

A typical physician carries a “patient panel” of 1,500 to 2,000 people, said Anne Scott, chief operating officer of the Michigan Primary Care Association, which represents hundreds of community health center sites throughout the state.

A single doctor suddenly unable to practice sets off “a huge ripple effect” for patients as clinics try to reassign patients to other doctors.

“It’s not like your appointment gets bumped one or two weeks,” she said. “The disruption of care potentially can extend much further out.”

Governor Whitmer signed House Bill 5455 into law as Public Act 6 of 2026 which was given immediate effect by the Legislature.  Somehow this bill got tie-barred with tax incremental financing for Harsens Island in St. Clair County.  Up next, the Woody:

https://michiganadvance.com/briefs/whitmer-signs-bipartisan-bill-preserving-licenses-for-thousands-of-doctors-in-michigan/

https://legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5455

Whitmer signs bipartisan bill preserving licenses for thousands of doctors in Michigan
By Ben Solis - March 26, 2026

Michigan’s participation in a nationwide medical licensure compact is secure after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a renewal bill into law on Thursday.

Whitmer signed House Bill 5455, sponsored by state Rep. Rylee Linting (R-Wyandotte). Michigan joined the compact when the law was passed and signed during Whitmer’s first term, but the agreement had a sunset date of 2022. That was pushed back to expire on March 28 of this year, and was set to lapse if lawmakers couldn’t get it together to reach another deal.

The compact allows out-of-state doctors the ability to practice in Michigan, as the agreement aligned standards in both Michigan and other states who also signed on.

If the law was allowed to lapse, thousands of doctors and physicians who received their licensure through the compact would lose those licenses.

Whitmer said in a statement that she was pleased to keep Michigan involved in the compact.

“I’m committed to protecting access to health care and growing small business,” Whitmer said.. “Communities across our state, especially in rural areas, are already facing a shortage of health care workers. Historic federal cuts to Medicaid are raising health care costs for everyone. That’s why I’m signing a bipartisan bill to ensure 5,000 doctors can continue practicing in Michigan and making a difference in their communities.”

HB 5455 will now become Public Act 6 of 2026.

The governor also signed Senate Bill 581, which will become Public Act 5 of 2026, sponsored by state Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores). The bill was tie-barred with Linting’s legislation, and would allow Harsens Island in St. Clair County to utilize tax incremental financing, which is a tool for growing and revitalizing downtowns and main streets. The bill allows locals to use property tax growth to help bolster their communities.

Additionally, Whitmer signed a bill that would designate the wood duck as the state’s official duck — House Bill 4044. A public act number for the wood duck recognition was not provided by the governor’s office, but it would likely be the seventh piece of legislation signed by the governor this year.

Interestingly, MDHHS issues the press release - not LARA - which is a story in itself.

LARA has opposed compacts, as one would expect given the extra work, sparse pay, and loss of "market share."

Both parties in the legislature, the medical lobby, and the governor, all chose to put doctors under the thumb of an unaccountable bureaucracy.

Even LARA is at least controlled by people we elect.

It's a sad day for the people's constitutional rights.

All Providers,

On March 26, 2026, Governor Whitmer signed House Bill 5455 into law (PA 6 of 2026), which allows Michigan to remain as a member in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact without interruption.

Michigan Expedited Medical Compact Licensees

If you currently hold a Michigan Expedited Medical Compact license this license will remain active along with any associated controlled substance license. The license(s) will expire on the expiration date reflected on your current license.
Individuals with Michigan as your State of Principal License

With House Bill 5455 being enacted into law, Michigan can continue to serve as a state of principal license.
Additional questions should be directed the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs at BPLHelp@michigan.gov or by phone at (517) 241-0199.