Health: occupations; essential health provider repayment program; modify. Amends secs. 2701, 2705 & 2711 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.2701 et seq.).

2023-2024 Regular Session Introduced by John Fitzgerald

Expands EHPRP to cover MPH/MSPH grads, enabling debt/expense repayment for public health leaders who serve 2+ years full-time in HRSA shortage areas, up to $40k/year, $300k lifetime.

referred to second reading

#health:occupations

HB 6010 Summary — Essential Health Provider Repayment Program Expansion

Overview

House Bill 6010 would modify the Public Health Code to expand the Essential Health Provider Repayment Program (EHPRP) administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The goal is to bolster recruitment and retention of medical directors for local health departments by broadening eligibility to include public health graduate degrees.

What the Bill Would Do

Add public health graduate degree programs to the EHPRP eligible categories. Specifically, eligible degrees are:

Master of Public Health (MPH)
Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH)

Include individuals qualified in public health among those who can be recruited by DHHS for the program.

Keep the core structure of the EHPRP intact: DHHS may repay certain debts or expenses incurred to attend designated health training programs in exchange for a two-year-or-longer full-time service obligation in a health resource shortage area (HRSA-designated).

Key Provisions and Changes

Programs Eligible for Repayment:

Existing covered programs (medical, dental, mental health, nursing for certain advanced roles, physician assistant) plus the newly added public health graduate degrees.

Targeted Roles:

The public health pathway is aimed at training individuals to become medical directors of local health departments.

Service Obligation:

Each repayment agreement requires a written contract obligating the recipient to provide full-time health care services in a HRSA-designated shortage area for a period equal to the number of years the department has committed to repayment, or at least two years, whichever is greater.

Debt/Expense Repayment Caps:

Annual cap: up to $40,000 per year.
Lifetime cap: up to $300,000 total repayment per designated professional, spread over 10 years (or more) according to the contract.

Administrative and Geographic Impact

Administration: The DHHS would administer the expanded EHPRP.

Geographic/HRSA Areas: Obligations are tied to service in health resource shortage areas designated by the department.

Fiscal Impact

State expenditures: Indeterminate increase to DHHS; no direct fiscal impact on local governments.

The total fiscal effect depends on how many individuals with MPH/MSPH degrees apply and enter into service agreements.

Legislative and Procedural Context

Introduced: September 26, 2024 (Rep. John Fitzgerald); referred to Regulatory Reform.

Status: Referred to second reading; as of January 2025, listed as referred to the Joint Committee on Government Administration and Elections for action.

Basis: Text builds on existing EHPRP structure found in MCL 333.2701 et seq., adding the public health graduate degree pathway and related recruitment language.

Who Is Affected

Eligible health professionals seeking debt/expense repayment in exchange for service in HRSA shortage areas, including physicians, dentists, mental health professionals, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, and now public health graduates (MPH/MSPH).

Local health departments seeking medical directors and enhanced recruitment/retention.

This bill is designed to reduce financial barriers for individuals pursuing public health leadership roles in local health departments by expanding the EHPRP to include MPH/MSPH graduates.