Health facilities: hospitals; certain hospital financial assistance policies; make subject to the hospital financial assistance act. Amends sec. 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167). TIE BAR WITH: HB 6071'26

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Greg Alexander and 10 co-sponsors

Public hospital boards would determine charity care eligibility and pricing within the statewide Hospital Financial Assistance Act framework, with receipts credited to the county f

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#healthfacilities:hospitals

Summary of HB 6072 (2025-2026) – Michigan

Purpose and intent

HB 6072 proposes to amend the Michigan Public Act that governs hospital operations and funding (the Emergency Public Hospitals framework established by 1913 PA 350, MCL 331.167).

The bill seeks to clarify and place hospital charity care and financial assistance within the scope of the Hospital Financial Assistance Act, ensuring that a public hospital’s decisions about charity care align with statewide financial assistance standards.

Key provisions and changes

Amends Section 17 of 1913 PA 350 (MCL 331.167) to:

Affirm that the board of hospital trustees has the authority to determine whether patients presenting at a public hospital are eligible for charity care.
Allow the trustees to set compensation for care of patients who are able to pay, with receipts paid to the county treasurer and credited to the hospital fund.
Explicitly state that the board’s authority is subject to the Hospital Financial Assistance Act.

Enacting section notes:

The change takes effect only if HB 6071 (the tied bill) is enacted into law. This is a common legislative mechanism where one bill’s implementation depends on another companion bill’s passage.

Who or what is affected

Public hospital boards of trustees in Michigan, as established under 1913 PA 350, and the counties that fund and operate these hospitals.

Hospital patients who might be eligible for charity care versus those who can pay (pricing and compensation decisions by hospital trustees).

The Hospital Financial Assistance Act, which provides the framework for determining financial assistance policies (ensuring consistency with broader state policy).

Procedural and timeline aspects

The bill was introduced and referred to the House Health Policy Committee (as of 2026).

It is a tie-bar bill with HB 6071; the new provisions become effective only if HB 6071 is enacted into law.

The action history shows recent introductory steps (June 2026) and committee referral, indicating early-stage consideration.

Practical implications

If HB 6071 passes and this bill is enacted, public hospital boards would operate within a clearer statutory framework that integrates charity care determinations with the statewide Hospital Financial Assistance Act.

Public hospitals may adjust charity care determinations and patient pricing under the hospital fund framework, with receipts funneled to the county treasury.

This could affect:

How patients are evaluated for charity care.
The financial accounting and reporting of hospital care revenue.
Compliance requirements related to financial assistance policies.

Notes for readers

The narrow focus is on aligning charitable care decisions with statewide financial assistance standards and ensuring revenue from patient care is tracked within the county hospital fund.

The bill’s effectiveness is contingent on the passage of HB 6071, making it part of a coordinated set of proposals.