Bill Text: MI SB0648 | 2013-2014 | 97th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Higher education; financial aid; loan repayment grant program for certain health professionals and students; expand eligibility criteria and increase maximum grant amount.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 11-2)
Status: (Passed) 2014-07-16 - Assigned Pa 0172'14 With Immediate Effect [SB0648 Detail]
Download: Michigan-2013-SB0648-Engrossed.html
SB-0648, As Passed Senate, March 11, 2014
SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 648
A bill to amend 1978 PA 368, entitled
"Public health code,"
by amending sections 2701, 2705, and 2711 (MCL 333.2701, 333.2705,
and 333.2711), as added by 1990 PA 16.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
Sec. 2701. As used in this part:
(a) "Board certified" means certified to practice in a
particular medical speciality by a national board recognized by the
American board of medical specialties or the American osteopathic
association.
(b) "Certified nurse midwife" means an individual licensed as
a registered professional nurse under part 172 who has been issued
a specialty certification in the practice of nurse midwifery by the
board of nursing under section 17210.
(c) "Certified nurse practitioner" means an individual
licensed as a registered professional nurse under part 172 who has
been issued a specialty certification as a nurse practitioner by
the board of nursing under section 17210.
(d) "Dental school" means an accredited program for the
training of individuals to become dentists.
(e) "Dentist" means an individual licensed to engage in the
practice of dentistry under part 166.
(f) (d)
"Designated nurse" means
a certified nurse midwife or
certified nurse practitioner.
(g) (e)
"Designated physician"
means a physician qualified in
1 of the physician specialty areas identified in section 2711.
(h) (f)
"Designated professional"
means a designated
physician, designated nurse, dentist, or physician's assistant.
(i) (g)
"Health resource shortage
area" means a geographic
area, population group, or health facility designated by the
department under section 2717.
(j) (h)
"Medicaid" means benefits
under the program of medical
assistance established under title XIX of the social security act,
42
U.S.C. 1396 to 1396d, 1396f to 1396g, and 1396i to 1396s, 42 USC
1396
to 1396w-5, and administered by the
department of social human
services
under the social welfare act, Act No. 280 of the Public
Acts
of 1939, being sections 400.1 to 400.121 of the Michigan
Compiled
Laws.1939 PA 280, MCL 400.1
to 400.119b.
(k) (i)
"Medical school" means an
accredited program for the
training of individuals to become physicians.
(l) (j)
"Medicare" means benefits
under the federal medicare
program established under title XVIII of the social security act,
42
U.S.C. 1395 to 1395b, 1395b-2 to 1395i, 1395i-1a to 1395i-2,
1395j
to 1395dd, 1395ff to 1395mm, and 1395oo to 1395ccc.42 USC
1395 to 1395kkk-1.
(m) (k)
"National health service
corps" means the agency
established
under section 331 of title III of the public health
service
act, 42 U.S.C. USC 254d.
(n) (l) "Nurse"
means an individual licensed to engage in the
practice of nursing under part 172.
(o) (m)
"Nursing program" means
an accredited program for the
training of individuals to become nurses.
(p) (n)
"Physician" means an
individual licensed as a
physician under part 170 or an osteopathic physician under part
175.
(q) (o)
"Physician's assistant"
means an individual licensed
as a physician's assistant under part 170 or part 175.
(r) (p)
"Physician's assistant
program" means an accredited
program for the training of individuals to become physician's
assistants.
(s) (q)
"Service obligation"
means the contractual obligation
undertaken by an individual under section 2705 or section 2707 to
provide health care services for a determinable time period at a
site designated by the department.
Sec. 2705. (1) The department shall 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 a medical school, dental school, nursing program for the
training of certified nurse midwives or certified nurse
practitioners, or physician's assistant program or as a result of
providing services in a health resource shortage area. The
department may each year repay all or part of a designated
professional's
debt or expenses, in an amount not to exceed the but
the
amount repaid in any 1 year shall not exceed the amount set
forth
described in subsection (3). for each year, up to a
maximum
of
4 years. The department shall repay
a debt or expenses only for
a designated professional who has entered into a written contract
with the department that requires the designated professional to
engage in the full-time practice of health care services in a
health resource shortage area to which he or she is assigned by the
department for a period equal in years to the number of years for
which the department has agreed in the contract to make a debt or
expense repayment, or for a period of 2 years, whichever is
greater.
(2) A debt or expense repayment on behalf of a designated
professional under subsection (1) for fulfilling a service
obligation for a particular year shall be paid in a lump sum at the
completion of the service obligation for that year. A designated
professional who does not fulfill a service obligation for a
particular year forfeits his or her right to the debt or expense
repayment or any part of it for that year and the department may
treat an agreement for further debt or expense repayment in a
subsequent year as void. In its sole discretion, the department may
make a debt or expense repayment prior to or during each year of
service if there are extenuating circumstances. In its sole
discretion, the department may pay a pro rata amount of an agreed
debt or expense repayment to a designated professional or his or
her estate if 1 of the following occurs prior to the completion of
the designated professional's service obligation:
(a) The designated professional dies.
(b) The designated professional is unable, by reason of
permanent disability, to render the service.
(c) Other circumstances prevail that are considered by the
department to constitute a compelling reason to consider the
service obligation fulfilled.
(3)
For the first In any year of the a debt or expense
repayment program, the maximum amount of a debt or expense
repayment
is $25,000.00 $40,000.00 per year. In each succeeding
year
after the first year, the maximum amount may be increased by
5%.The maximum amount of debt or expense
repayment the department
may pay on behalf of a designated professional is $200,000.00, paid
over a period of 4 years or more. The amount the department shall
pay on behalf of a designated professional and the amount payable
for each year of service shall be included in the written contract
under subsection (1).
(4) The department may accept funds from any source for the
operation of the essential health provider repayment program, and
shall distribute those funds in a manner consistent with this
section.
(5) The department shall give the essential health provider
repayment program created by this section priority over the other
programs created under this part.
Sec. 2711. (1) For the programs created in sections 2705 and
2707, the department shall only recruit physicians who are
qualified or students who are training to become qualified in 1 or
more of the following designated physician specialty areas:
(a)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
general
General practice.
(b)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
family
Family practice.
(c)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
obstetrics.Obstetrics.
(d)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
pediatrics.Pediatrics.
(e)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
emergency
Emergency medicine.
(f)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
internal
Internal medicine.
(g)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
preventive
Preventive medicine.
(h)
Board certified, or eligible for board certification, in
psychiatry.Psychiatry.
(2) When enrolling individuals to participate in the programs
created in sections 2705 and 2707, the department may give
preference to an individual who is qualified or studying in 1 or
more of the specific designated physician specialty areas of
general practice, family practice, obstetrics, pediatrics, or
internal medicine over an individual qualified or studying in
another designated physician specialty area described in subsection
(1).
(3) As used in this section, "qualified" means board certified
or eligible for board certification.
