Michigan lawmakers are working to draw more medical providers to low-resource areas by raising caps for a loan repayment program for health professionals in those areas.
The program's loan repayment limit would increase to $40,000 per year from $25,000 per year under one of the two Republican bills that passed Tuesday. A lifetime maximum loan repayment would be set at $200,000 for an individual.
Republican Sen. John Moolenaar of Midland sponsored one of the bills and says they'd "encourage physicians to practice in underserved areas" by bringing the program "more in line with modern costs."
The legislation would let the Department of Community Health prioritize enrolling doctors with specialties such as family medicine and obstetrics.
Legislation that would also expand eligibility to dentists has unanimously passed the Senate.