Tag: SB 303

Opioid Legislation, IMLC and Compact Bills Advance in Senate, House

Member News

The Senate Health Policy Committee voted in support of legislation related to treating patients with opioid use disorder, while the House Health Policy advanced the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) bill during the week of June 23.

Senate Bills (SB) 397–405 were voted out of the Senate Health Policy Committee with recommendation to the full Senate chamber. Collectively, these bills make numerous changes to improve coverage and access for Michiganders to receive treatment for opioid use disorders.

Additionally, the Senate Health Policy Committee heard testimony on House Bills (HB) 4103–4104, sponsored by Reps. Julie Rogers (D-Kalamazoo) and Doug Wozniak (R-Shelby Township), which would add Michigan into the occupational therapist licensure compact agreement. HBs 4101 and 4380, sponsored by Rep. Matthew Bierlein (R-Vassar), was also considered by the committee and would add Michigan into the physical therapist licensure compact. Also, the committee advanced SBs 414–415, sponsored by Sen. Stephanie Chang (D-Detroit) and Sen. Ruth Johnson (R-Groveland Township), which would require insurer and Medicaid coverage of group prenatal services. The MHA supports HBs 4103-4104, 4101, 4380, and SBs 414-415.

SB 303, sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant), renews Michigan’s agreement in the interstate medical licensure compact was unanimously voted through by the House Health Policy Committee. The bill now moves to the House Rules Committee for further consideration. The committee also heard testimony on HB 4509, sponsored by Rep. Luke Meerman (R-Coopersville), which adds Michigan to the audiologist and speech-language pathologist licensure compact. HB 4591, sponsored by Rep. Karl Bohnak (R-Deerton), similarly adds Michigan to the professional counselor licensure compact. The MHA also supports SB 303, HB 4509 and HB 4591, and looks forward to their continued movement in the legislature.

Members with additional questions should contact the MHA Advocacy Team.

MHA Testifies on IMLC in House Health Policy

Member News

The MHA testified in support of Senate Bill (SB) 303 during a hearing in the Michigan House Health Policy Committee June 11. The legislation would reinstate Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC).

Adam Carlson, senior vice president, advocacy, MHA, and Taylor Alpert, government relations manager, MHA, spoke to the importance of rejoining the compact, which allows physicians to more easily obtain licenses to practice across 40 other participating states. Carlson explained to the committee that Michigan has fallen out of the compact as of March 28, 2025, and urged lawmakers to act quickly to pass SB 303, sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant).

Alpert emphasized that without this legislation, Michigan physicians will lose the ability to efficiently obtain licensure in other compact states. This could limit their capacity to provide essential care through telehealth and in rural or border communities that serve patients across state lines. The MHA looks forward to the House Health Policy Committee voting on this legislation in the coming weeks.

Members with additional questions should contact Adam Carlson at the MHA.

MHA Testifies in House Oversight Subcommittee, IMLC and AOT Legislation Passes Senate

Member News

The MHA provided testimony May 21 to the House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health & Food Security on certain challenges related to behavioral health patients and the need for inpatient psychiatric beds across the state.

The House Oversight Subcommittee on Public Health & Food Security heard about patients facing behavioral health crises and their experiences with emergency department boarding based on insurance status. Taylor Alpert, government relations manager, advocacy, MHA shared data the association began collecting in 2023 on emergency department length of stay for patients with a behavioral health diagnosis. The data revealed more than 155 patients with a behavioral health diagnosis waiting in a hospital emergency department daily. Patients with Medicaid coverage experience longer wait times than those with commercial insurance, with one in three Medicaid patients spending more than 48 hours in the emergency department before being admitted or discharged.

Adam Carlson, senior vice president, advocacy, MHA outlined the process of the current preadmission screening assessment completed by providers for patients with a behavioral health diagnosis and illustrated for the committee how the process is unnecessarily complicated for those with Medicaid coverage. Carlson provided information on how member hospitals in the state are actively trying to expand or undergo capacity improvement projects to address this growing issue, but federal Medicaid threats, staffing gaps and state behavioral health beds per capita remain a challenge.

The MHA has been exploring opportunities to address this issue at the state level and has been working with the legislature on changing the statutory requirements for preadmissions screening timelines. Senate Bill (SB) 316, sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant), enforces a three week timeline for completing a preadmission screening requirement for patients covered by Medicaid and was introduced earlier this week. The MHA will continue to educate legislators on this issue and support SB 316 to expand the assessment responsibility to improve the delivery of care for behavioral health patients in Michigan.

Additional behavioral health legislation advanced in the Senate this week:

  • SB 303, also sponsored by Sen. Roger Hauck, renews Michigan’s participation in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. It passed unanimously in the Senate and now moves to the House Health Policy Committee.
  • SBs 219–222, introduced by Sen. Kevin Hertel (D-St. Clair Shores), update procedures for Assisted Outpatient Treatment to improve care for individuals experiencing behavioral health crises.

In the House, the Rules Committee passed House Bill 4246, sponsored by Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington), which would establish a nurse licensure compact agreement in Michigan. The MHA has expressed support for each of these legislative efforts.

Members with additional questions should contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.

Healthcare Legislation Advances in House, Senate

Member News

Numerous healthcare bills including the Nurse Licensure Compact, Interstate Medical Licensure Compact and the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services (MDHHS) budget advanced in the Michigan Legislature during the week of May 12.

House Bill (HB) 4246, sponsored by Rep. Phil Green (R-Millington), passed out of the House Health Policy Committee this week and will now move to the House Rules Committee for further consideration. HB 4246 adds Michigan to the Nurse Licensure Compact agreement and allows for nurses to practice in multiple states without the burden of applying for additional licenses. For Michigan, joining the Compact will help increase access to care, especially through telehealth services and support nurse recruitment and retention efforts. The MHA continues to support this legislation as it advances in the legislature.

Additionally, a bill to add Michigan back into the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact was introduced this week by Sen. Roger Hauck (R-Mount Pleasant). After formal introduction, Senate Bill (SB) 303 was sent to the Senate Health Policy Committee for further consideration. The MHA fully supports the re-enactment of Michigan in the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact agreement.

Lastly, the MDHHS Appropriations Budget for fiscal year 2025-26 passed through the full Senate chamber. No significant hospital changes were made in this final Senate budget iteration after the bill was previously reported out of its subcommittee. The MHA’s priorities, including funding for Medicaid, the rural and obstetrical stabilization pools, peer recovery coaches and maternal health, were maintained. The MHA will continue to support these funding proposals and advocate for more resources dedicated to behavioral health and access.

Members with questions should contact Elizabeth Kutter at the MHA.