Advocacy

Act Now to Protect Michigan’s Medical Liability Laws! Tell your Lawmakers to Vote NO on HB 6085 and 6086
The stability of Michigan’s healthcare system is under threat. Lansing lawmakers are considering changes to Michigan’s medical liability laws during the current lame-duck session. Changes that would drive up costs, push physicians out of the state, and bring back the chaos and high costs that come with the practice of defensive medicine. With the legislative session nearing its close, these bills are being rushed forward without proper analysis or debate.

• HB 6085 will more than double the cap on noneconomic damages in medical malpractices cases. Applying the caps independently to each plaintiff against each defendant separately. And waiving caps entirely for physicians who have previously settled medical malpractice claims.

• HB 6086 expands potential compensation in wrongful death cases, allowing for additional damages based on the deceased’s lost future earning capacity and household services.

Time is of the essence – physicians need to tell their Michigan Representative and Senator to oppose House Bills 6085 and 6086. The sponsors of these bills have offered no data or analysis to justify these sweeping changes. However, based on previous experience, we know this legislation would: incentivize litigation and the practice of defensive medicine, unnecessarily burden patients and employers, raise malpractice insurance premiums by approximately 20% and greatly exacerbate Michigan’s growing physician shortage.

What You Can Do:

1. Contact your legislators: Use a pre-written letter to demand they oppose House Bills 6085 and 6086. Emphasize the risks to Michigan’s healthcare system and patients.
2. Spread the word: Encourage your colleagues to join this critical effort.
3. Attend the December 3 virtual MSMS Membership Meeting, from 5:30-6:30 pm, where these bills will be discussed.
4. Attend the December 9 virtual Tri-County Legislative Meeting, from 7-8pm, and speak directly with legislators from Macomb, Oakland & Wayne Counties about this dangerous legislation.

Decades of progress hang in the balance. Together, we can prevent a return to the costly, unstable, and unsustainable liability environment Michigan once faced. Act now—contact your legislators today! Let’s protect Michigan’s healthcare future.

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Senate Bill 279 – Oppose Dangerous Scope of Practice Expansion
The patient-centered care model, led by physicians and supported by the best trained and most qualified care team members is the proven, time-tested approach that ensures all Michigan patients receive the kind of quality care they expect and deserve.

SB 279 seeks to undermine and threaten that approach by removing physicians from patient care teams and allowing the full independent practice of Nurse Practitioners. It’s dangerous legislation that could have severe consequences for patient outcomes and access to quality care.

Please contact your lawmakers today and urge them to vote NO on Senate Bill 279. Talking points for SB 279.

House Bills 5554 & 5555 – Oppose Efforts to Weaken Michigan’s Smoke Free Air Laws
Efforts are underway to weaken Michigan’s Smoke Free Air laws and legislators need to hear from you! House Bills 5554 and 5555 would exempt hookah bars from the public smoking prohibition. Currently, hookah lounges have to operate separate LLCs to accommodate guests that want to smoke hookah and eat or drink. Combining these businesses into one would mean more employees are subject to second- or third-hand smoke when previously they were protected due to a physical barrier between the lounge and the restaurant. These bills would undermine public health efforts and expose more people to the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Take action now and tell your Representative to protect public health and vote NO on HB 5554 & HB 5555.

House Bill 5339 – Call on the House Insurance Committee to Schedule a Hearing on Step Therapy Reform!
One of the most important tenets of the work of the Michigan State Medical Society and Macomb County Medical Society is that health care decisions should be made between physicians and patients. Unfortunately, insurance companies’ practice of step therapy forces patients to try and fail on one or more prescription medications before they can access the treatment originally prescribed by their healthcare provider. This practice not only delays necessary treatment but can also exacerbate health conditions and lead to increased healthcare costs in the long run. HB 5339 would reform the pressing issue of “fail first” policies, which have a detrimental impact on patients across Michigan.

Securing a hearing on HB 5339 is pivotal in advancing this legislation and protecting Michiganders from the harms of step therapy tactics.

Please reach out to the members of the House Insurance Committee and urge them to schedule a hearing on HB 5339 as soon as possible.

House Bill 4472 – Protect Patients Access to Physician-Led Care Teams
When it comes to restoring a patient’s health, no one is more capable, better trained, and more likely to deliver safe and effective outcomes than physicians. That’s something we all need to work to protect, and House Bill 4472 is an excellent start.

House Bill 4472 would require advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to practice as part of physician-led, patient-centered care teams, where they would practice within the scope of their usual professional activities, creating a care model that ensures rural and underserved communities have access to physician-led care.

Medicine is just too complex and unforgiving to not have the most experienced and highly trained health care providers involved in diagnosis and treatment decisions, leading the way to the best and safest outcomes.

Please contact your lawmakers today and urge them to vote YES on HB 4472. Talking points for physician-led care.

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