On August 24, 2026, Representatives Matt Longjohn (D) and Doug Wozniak (R) along with an array of cosponsors introduced an eight bill Primary Care Transformation package in the Michigan House. Michigan is in good company and now joins the ranks of over twenty other states who have looked to legislation as a lever for positive change for primary care. Here is a snapshot of the aims of the eight bills:
The proposed legislation comes at a critical juncture and lights the way for primary care to be better resourced to help to address the challenges of access and affordability. Better resourcing fuels care redesign and the opportunity to treat common issues at the primary level instead of reflexive referrals to specialists. It also provides the time with patients for ongoing guidance and care to reduce avoidable admissions and emergency department visits and manage conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure that become medical emergencies if left unmanaged. There is good evidence[1] that primary care can deliver on the promise if adequately resourced.
What would make a good primary care spending target bill even better? Provisions that would ensure that at least 80% of primary care revenue received by organizations like health systems flows down to primary care practices so that they have the resources necessary to care for their patient panels. Enforcement mechanisms would also strengthen the bill and its intent to catalyze action.
It is also important that the bill language for the investment target is specific to spending on physician-led services that form the base of primary care — family medicine, general practice, internal medicine, geriatrics, pediatrics, and geriatrics. This is important because these areas form the base of well-functioning interprofessional primary care teams and resource staff teams where primary care physicians work in partnership with nurse practitioners, medical assistants, front office staff, community health workers and other experts as appropriate for the patient panel. It is also reflective of the vision advanced in the National Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s seminal report, Implementing High-Quality Primary Care[2].
There is more to come as additional developments occur over the remainder of the year and into 2027. We are fortunate in Michigan to have such a groundswell of leaders who understand the importance of high-quality primary care to the health of Michiganders and to a well-functioning, high-value system of care.
[1] https://www.milbank.org/publications/investing-in-primary-care-the-missing-strategy-in-americas-fight-against-chronic-disease/
