An estimated 30% of Michigan’s doctors could lose their ability to practice in the state by the end of next week if Michigan legislators don’t pass a bill to rejoin an interstate agreement.
The Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, which Michigan joined in 2018, lets doctors practice in any of the 40 member states. There are an estimated 8,000 doctors who are able to work in Michigan because of the agreement, and many doctors licensed in Michigan practice out-of-state, as well.
Local leaders in northern Michigan are expressing particular alarm, saying it’s already challenging to recruit doctors to the region, and losing doctors licensed through IMLC would add to the problem.
“Withdrawal from that compact would create a number of barriers to care,” said Warren Call, CEO of Traverse Connect, a business organization affiliated with the Northern Michigan Chamber Alliance. “It would increase the administrative burden for our rural hospitals, and it's going to further strain that limited workforce that we already have.”
“If we've got a great physician with proper licensure that wants to come from Wisconsin, or Indiana, or wherever it might be, we want to attract those people here to our communities,” Call said. “We want to attract them here to our health care system.”
Joe Santangelo, Chief Medical Quality and Safety Officer and doctor at Munson Healthcare, says the hospital and radiology departments would be heavily affected if the compact expires.
“The hope is that this would be a short lapse,” said Santangelo. “But it would really cause a whole lot of disruption to patients and to doctors that's just not necessary.”
Santangelo says most legislators the group has spoken to are in favor of the compact. But lawmakers have just until March 28 to take action. There are two versions of a bill that have been introduced to extend Michigan’s membership in the compact — one has passed the House and the other passed the Senate, but neither has landed on the governor’s desk.
“I'm very hopeful, but I'm also a little nervous, because the time is running short,” said Santangelo.
As of Thursday afternoon, a banner on the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact registration website read, “EFFECTIVE at 6:00 pm Eastern on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, physicians will no longer be able to select Michigan as their State of Principal License (SPL) or to select Michigan as a state to obtain a license.”
“If Michigan fails to pass the required legislation before March 28, 2026, your license could be rendered invalid,” the website reads. “Additionally, you may be subject to penalties for the unlicensed practice of medicine if you continue seeing patients after March 28, 2026.”
The Michigan legislature was in session Thursday, but as of Thursday afternoon, had not yet passed a bill to rejoin the interstate compact. State Rep. John Roth (R-Interlochen) and State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) did not respond in time for publication.
