News & Media
Advocacy in Action December 2025
Whether it’s advocating on legislation, addressing payment concerns with health plans and insurers, or making sure physicians are represented, the MSMS Advocacy team is working on your behalf. The following are some recent highlights:
- Joined with the AMA and other state and specialty societies in sending letters on two key issues:
- Physician-owned hospitals - The first letter was written in support of H.R. 4002, the “Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2025.” This bill would repeal the statutory and regulatory barriers that prevent the formation or expansion of physician-owned hospitals.
- Out-of-Network Physicians - The second letter was sent to Gail Boudreaux, President and Chief Executive Officer, Elevance Health, expressing opposition to their recently announced Facility Administrative Policy: Use of a Nonparticipating Care Provider. MSMS and the other joint-signors urged them to immediately rescind this policy, which would, effective January 1, 2026 in elven states, penalize and potentially terminate facilities that use nonparticipating care providers in eleven states. The impacted states are Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nevada, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
- Attended the Michigan Welcome Back Centers Implementation Meeting where attendees discussed how to implement Welcome Back Centers to help internationally trained, educated and experienced medical professionals to prepare, connect and attain jobs in healthcare fields in Michigan.
- Represented MSMS members at the Solutions Summit: Advancing the Michigan Healthcare Workforce Plan which featured the Michigan Health Council’s rollout of the Healthcare Workforce Plan.
- In November, attended six legislative committee meetings, nine meetings with legislators, three county medical society legislative meetings, meeting with Michigan Medicaid, and the BCBSM Professional Provider Relations Advisory Committee.
- Hosted the Physician Organization Council Meeting where attendees received updates from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services on the status of Medicaid and other programs impacted by H.R. 1.