State Budget, Preceptor Tax Incentive, Protecting ACA Preventive Care Provisions, Proposed Lead Testing Mandate at Center of MAFP’s Advocacy Work

With the Mackinac Policy Conference now in the rear view mirror, Michigan legislators returned to Lansing this week to resume work on the Fiscal Year 2024 state budget and other legislation. As always, MAFP’s advocacy work continues to push for initiatives that protect access to care and physician-lead team-based care.

MDHHS Appropriations Sub-committee Conference Committee Members Named

Following the May Consensus Revenue Estimating Conference, held this year on May 19, legislators are appointed in each chamber to negotiate differences in the House and Senate departmental budget proposals, so a final budget can move forward for approval by the full House and Senate, and ultimately the Governor.

This week, conference committee members were announced. In the House, Representatives Christine Morse (D-Kalamazoo), Jasper Martus (D-Flushing), and Jaime Greene (R-Richmond) will serve as conferees for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) budget. In the Senate, MDHHS budget conferees will be Senators Sylvia Santana (D-Warrendale), Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City), and Jon Bumstead (R-Newaygo).

MAFP continues to advocate for investments in:

• MIDOCs, established in 2017 to expand residency positions in primary care and other urgent-need specialties and retain physicians in underserved areas of the state
• Michigan State Loan Repayment Program, which helps employers recruit and retain primary medical, dental, and mental healthcare professionals by providing loan repayment assistance
• Medicaid physician payment increase, initially funded in the FY 2022-2023 state budget, for certain primary care and child wellness services
• Additional Medicaid payment increase for physician and non-physician professional services

Preceptor Tax Incentive

Senate Bill 360, introduced by Sen. Jeff Irwin (D-Ann Arbor), calls for establishing a preceptor tax credit for physicians and physician assistants. Senate Bill 361 was also introduced and would establish a tax credit for advance practice registered nurses. Each bill identifies the proposed tax credit as $1,000 per 250 precepting hours, not to exceed $5,000 per tax year.

These bills are expected to be considered together as a package rather than individually. MAFP expects duplicate bills to be introduced in the House by Rep. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) and will continue to push for committee hearings on these important bills, which aim to help reduce Michigan’s physician shortage.

State-based ACA Provisions

Following the recent federal ruling in Braidwood Management v. Becerra, which puts access to no-cost preventive care services at risk, Michigan legislators considered bills this week that would codify some of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to ensure continued access to care.

The Senate Health Policy Committee heard testimony on Senate Bills 356-358, which would require insurance companies to provide information of their coverage to beneficiaries, prohibit rescinding coverage, and define tiers of coverage insurers would be required to offer.

The House Insurance and Financial Services Committee heard testimony on House Bills 4619-4623. These bills would prohibit insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions or based on gender, gender identity, or sexual orientation or expression. They would also require coverage for dependents up to 26 years of age and establish annual and lifetime dollar limits while providing a minimum requirement of coverage.

As each package of bills continues moving through the legislative process in the coming weeks, MAFP continues to support and advocate for initiatives that protect access to care.

Lead Testing Mandate Clears Senate Committee

The Senate Health Policy Committee recently heard testimony on Senate Bill 31, which proposes a lead testing mandate for all children in Michigan, not just children covered by Medicaid as is already required.

MAFP worked with the bill sponsor, Sen. John Cherry (D-Clio) to ensure additional administrative burdens would not be placed on physicians through this legislation, and that this new testing mandate would align with the testing mandate already in place for Medicaid beneficiaries.