(The Center Square) – With only days to spare, the Michigan Senate has passed a House bill renewing the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, preserving the ability of more than 8,000 doctors to practice across the state.
The compact allows physicians licensed in other states to practice in Michigan without repeating the full licensing process, streamlining care for patients and keeping appointments on track. The agreement had expired last year after the Michigan Senate failed to act, putting thousands of physicians at risk of losing their licenses at the end of March.
“This will ensure that more than 8,000 doctors can continue practicing without interruption, helping protect access to care for folks across our state and preserving up to 100,000 appointments every single day,” said Speaker Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, in a statement Tuesday.
Michigan joined the compact in 2019. Since then, more than 8,000 physicians have obtained licenses through the system, reducing what could take months or years through traditional state licensing to just weeks.
Dr. Emily Hurst, a critical care physician with Henry Ford Health and immediate past president of the Michigan Osteopathic Association, said the compact is crucial for patient care.
“That is not a small bureaucratic inconvenience,” Hurst said during a virtual media roundtable regarding the issue, which The Center Square reported on previously. “That’s a serious access-to-care issue.”
John Haapaniemi, president of the medical staff at the Detroit Medical Center, warned in that same meeting that certain specialties could have been particularly hard-hit without the compact.
“If this sunsetting law is not renewed immediately, at the end of March, we’re going to lose positions,” he said. “We have internists, radiologists. Specifically, psychiatry is going to be significantly impacted here, and we’re going to have a critical loss of coverage in mental health.”
The compact plays a vital role in rural and underserved areas.
Rachel Ruddock, director of workforce and career training at the Michigan Primary Care Association, said community health centers rely on it to quickly license out-of-state physicians who provide essential care, including telehealth services.
“The nearest specialist is often several counties or hours away,” Ruddock said. “Telehealth has become a lifeline for rural patients, whether for specialty consultations, mental health services, or follow-up care. But telehealth only works when physicians can practice across state lines without facing months of redundant licensing barriers.”
Legislation to extend Michigan’s participation – Senate Bill 303 and House Bill 5455 – had passed their originating chambers but stalled in the opposite house, leaving lawmakers scrambling as the deadline approached.
Marshall Smith, executive director of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact Commission, described the delay as puzzling given broad bipartisan support.
“There’s five seconds left. We’re on the one-yard line,” Smith said. “This requires a legislative hero–either the House or the Senate–to pick up the ball and push it over the goal line.”
After months of negotiations, Senate Democrats led by Majority Leader Winnie Brinks ultimately agreed to pass the bill sponsored by Rep. Rylee Linting, R-Wyandotte. The bill now heads to Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s desk, where she is expected to sign it.
“This is a huge win for doctors and patients in Michigan,” said Gabe Butzke, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “After months, Speaker Hall and Representative Linting were finally able to convince Winnie Brinks to stop playing political games with people’s healthcare.”
Hall also noted that the deal preserved other legislative priorities.
“While my focus was on protecting the licensure of the 8,000 doctors and patient care, I also achieved a big priority for Rep. Jay DeBoer on a legislative issue he’s been working on for years,” Hall said. “Negotiating great deals like this shows that the process is working.”
