HEALTH PROVIDER REPAYMENT; MODIFY S.B. 246:
REVISED SUMMARY OF INTRODUCED
BILL IN COMMITTEE
Senate Bill 246 (as introduced 3-16-21)
Sponsor: Senator Curtis S. VanderWall
Committee: Health Policy and Human Services
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to specify that the maximum amount of debt or expense that the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) could pay on behalf of a designated health professional through a health provider repayment program would be $250,000 over ten or more years.
Under the Code, the DHHS must administer an essential health provider repayment program for designated professionals who have incurred a debt or expenses as a result of a loan taken to attend medical school, dental school, nursing program for the training of certified nurse midwives, certified nurse practitioners, or clinical nurse specialists-certified, or physician's assistant program or as a result of providing services in a health resource shortage area. The Department must repay a debt or expenses only for a professional who has entered a written contract with the DHHS that requires him or her to engage in the full-time practice of health care services in a resource shortage area to which the Department assigns him or her for a period equal in years to the number of years for which the Department has agreed in the contract to make the payments, or for a period of two years, whichever is greater.
Each year, the DHHS may repay all or part of a designated professional's debt or expenses, but the amount repaid in one year may not exceed $40,000. In addition, the maximum amount of debt or expense repayment the DHHS may pay on behalf of a designated professional is $200,000, paid over a period of four years or more. Under the bill, if a designated professional's term of service extended to 10 years or more, the maximum amount of debt or expense repayment the Department could pay on behalf of the designated professional would be $250,000, paid over a period of 10 years or more.
MCL 333.2705 Legislative Analyst: Stephen Jackson
FISCAL IMPACT
This bill would have no fiscal impact on the DHHS or local units of government. The number of loan repayment contracts that the DHHS enters into with eligible medical providers is limited by the yearly appropriation to the Michigan Essential Health Provider Program. By allowing for increased expenditures per participant, the bill could decrease the total number of contracts that the DHHS could enter into, depending on the number of eligible medical providers who agreed to contracts for a term of 10 years or longer, the participant's eligible education debt, and assuming a flat appropriation level in future fiscal years. A recent funding history of the Michigan Essential Health Provider program is below.
|
Fiscal Year |
Provider Contracts |
Gross |
GF/GP |
Federal |
Private |
|
FY 2013-2014 |
92 |
2,491,300 |
1,000,000 |
1,236,300 |
255,000 |
|
FY 2014-2015 |
104 |
3,591,300 |
1,500,000 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2015-2016 |
69 |
3,591,300 |
1,500,000 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2016-2017 |
67 |
3,591,300 |
1,500,000 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2017-2018 |
86 |
3,591,300 |
1,500,000 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2018-2019 |
84 |
3,591,300 |
1,500,000 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2019-2020 |
126 |
4,519,600 |
2,428,300 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2020-2021 |
91 |
3,519,600 |
1,428,300 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
FY 2021-2022b |
N/Aa |
3,519,600 |
1,428,300 |
1,236,300 |
855,000 |
|
aUnavailable until the close of the fiscal year. bThis amount reflects the Executive proposed, Senate Subcommittee Proposed, and House Subcommittee Proposed funding level. |
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Fiscal Analyst: Ellyn Ackerman
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.