New Michigan Regulations Tighten Physician Disciplinary Investigations

Four new Michigan laws prevent the Michigan Board of Medicine and 26 other health-licensing boards within the state from unilaterally ending disciplinary investigations into healthcare professionals, according to a Crain's Detroit Business report.

Under the new rules that take effect July 1, after partial investigation information is presented to health-licensing boards by the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, a full investigation will only be performed by the MDLRA if at least three members of a health-licensing board ask the MDLRA to do so, according to the report.

Additionally, under the new laws, the MDLRA will have the final say on whether a healthcare professional's license is suspended, modified or revoked. The laws give the MDLRA the authority to overrule the decision of a health-licensing board's disciplinary subcommittee to end a disciplinary investigation if public health and welfare are in jeopardy, according to the report.   

The new laws affect more than 400,000 professionals and 27 licensing-boards in Michigan, according to the report.

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