Michigan Doctors Group Calls for Boosting Primary Care Pay to Ease Shortages

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The Michigan State Medical Society has released a 14-point plan to address the state's severe health care provider shortages, particularly in primary care. The report calls for vastly expanding pay and reimbursements for primary care doctors, noting that currently only 5% of total medical expenditures go to primary care. The group wants to boost that to 12% to help attract and retain more primary care physicians and build stronger care teams.

Why it matters

Michigan is facing a growing shortage of primary care providers, with federal estimates showing the state is short at least 464 such doctors. This has led to long wait times for patients, higher health care costs, and missed care. Boosting pay for primary care could help address these issues by making the field more attractive to medical students and retaining more doctors trained in the state.

The details

The report from the Michigan State Medical Society highlights that primary care doctors in Michigan average $287,000 per year, compared to $404,000 for specialists. It calls for expanding Medicaid and commercial insurance reimbursements for primary care to allow practices to build out care teams with nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, and other providers. The group also recommends the state establish programs to recruit medical students from underserved communities and provide loan forgiveness to encourage new doctors to practice in those areas.

• The Michigan State Medical Society released its 14-point plan on March 17, 2026.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The Michigan legislature is expected to consider the recommendations from the Michigan State Medical Society report as part of efforts to address the state's health care provider shortages.