Michigan Family Physicians Head to Capitol to Advocate for Patients and Physician-Led Care

“Michigan’s family physicians traveled to Lansing because our patients are counting on us,” said MAFP President Bashar Yalldo, MD, FAAFP. “From protecting Medicaid coverage to preserving physician-led care, the issues before lawmakers this session have real consequences for patients across our state.”  

Throughout the day, participants took part in a total of 73 meetings with state representatives and senators. These conversations included three of the four chamber leaders, along with key members of the House and Senate Health Policy Committees. This level of engagement ensured that the physician voice was heard by influential policymakers directly shaping healthcare legislation in Michigan.

Protecting Physician-Led Care Teams
As the Legislature considers scope-of-practice legislation, MAFP and MAOFP are urging lawmakers to preserve physician oversight in care delivery. The organizations specifically oppose:

• House Bill 4399, which would remove physicians from care teams and allow nurse practitioners to practice independently.

• House Bill 5522, which would allow physician assistants to practice without a written practice agreement with a physician.

• House Bill 5446, which would create public health risks by licensing naturopathic practitioners as doctors. Physicians complete a minimum of seven to eleven years of post-graduate training, equipping them to manage complex, multi-condition patients and lead coordinated care teams.

Protecting Medicaid in Michigan
Nearly 2.6 million Michiganders — roughly one in four residents — rely on Medicaid for essential health coverage, including children, pregnant women, seniors, and working adults without affordable employer-sponsored insurance.

MAFP and MAOFP are urging lawmakers to maintain full funding for Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan, avoid administrative barriers that cause eligible residents to lose coverage, and ensure reimbursement rates support access to physician-led care.

Investing in Michigan’s Primary Care Workforce
MAFP and MAOFP called on policymakers to expand and fully fund two key workforce programs:

• Michigan Doctors Improving Access to Care (MIDOCs), which expands residency training in primary care specialties at Michigan medical schools and offers up to $150,000 in loan repayment for participating residents; and

• The Michigan State Loan Repayment Program (MSLRP), which offers up to $300,000 in tax-free loan repayment to clinicians who commit to two-year service obligations in shortage areas or nonprofit clinics.

For more information on how to get involved, contact Chief Executive Officer Karlene Ketola at [email protected].