ATA ACTION URGES STATE POLICYMAKERS TO RESTORE MICHIGAN TO THE INTERSTATE MEDICAL LICENSURE COMPACT (IMLC), ALLOWING PHYSICIANS TO DELIVER NEEDED CARE ACROSS STATE LINES
March 28 Deadline: 30% of Michigan’s physician workforce could lose compact-based authority to practice medicine
WASHINGTON, DC, FEBRUARY 26, 2026 – ATA Action, the affiliated policy and legislative advocacy arm of the American Telemedicine Association, is urging state lawmakers to pass legislation allowing Michigan physicians to continue practicing medicine across state lines under the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC). The IMLC allows eligible physicians to apply to practice in multiple states by submitting a single application through the Compact. While licenses are still issued individually by each state, the Compact streamlines the process, allowing physicians to obtain practice authority in multiple states quicker and with fewer administrative burdens. Since Michigan joined the IMLC in 2019, thousands of out-of-state physicians have obtained Michigan licensure while physicians located in Michigan have used the IMLC to help provide care to patients outside the state.
Michigan’s statutory language, unlike most IMLC statutes, included a sunset provision, which passed on March 28, 2025, beginning a 12-month withdrawal process – until March 28, 2026 – from the Compact. If Michigan does not pass the required legislation before that date (either House Bill 5455 or Senate Bill 303), patients will suffer from care disruption and physicians will lose practice authority.
“According to data from the IMLC, more than 5,000 physicians, one-third of Michigan’s physician workforce, would lose their compact-based authority to practice if lawmakers don’t act quickly to pass legislation to rejoin the compact. Bipartisan bills introduced in the House and Senate are currently stalled, putting patients at risk,” said Hunter Young, ATA Action’s head of state government relations. “We urge leaders in both chambers to set aside differences and expeditiously restore the IMLC to statute. If this stalemate continues, patient access to care in Michigan and in other states will be harmfully disrupted. While the state will not leave the Compact until March 28 of this year, quick action is essential as providers and patients grapple with continuing uncertainty of the looming deadline.
“The IMLC is a proven, state-driven solution to the growing challenges of licensure portability – and it’s never been more critical, as telehealth and multistate practice become increasingly central to how care is delivered,” Young added. “State policymakers have a responsibility to protect patient access to care, particularly in rural communities, and that means ensuring physicians can practice where they are needed most.”
Licensure remains one of the most significant barriers facing telehealth providers, as most states require practitioners to hold a license in the state where the patient is located. Compacts like the IMLC offer a structured, state-driven path forward, cutting through duplicative licensing requirements, easing administrative burdens, strengthening workforce mobility, and ultimately expanding access to care for patients across the country.
About ATA Action
Founded in 2022, ATA Action is the leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing policy and accelerating the adoption of technology-enabled healthcare. Working collaboratively with federal and state legislators and policymakers, ATA Action drives industry momentum by influencing legislative and regulatory developments in telehealth, virtual care, remote patient monitoring, artificial intelligence in health, health data privacy, private sector healthcare investment, and more. Representing a diverse membership – including hospital systems, technology companies, professional associations, direct-to-consumer digital health providers, payers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, digital therapeutics developers, and remote monitoring organizations – ATA Action facilitates member-led coalitions focused on initiatives such as Advancing Digital Health and Prescription Drug Use-Related Software (PDURS), Virtual Foodcare, and Cross State Care.
ATA Action is a registered 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade organization engaged in lobbying efforts to shape industry-related legislation and serves as an affiliated trade association of the American Telemedicine Association (ATA). The ATA, a 501(c)(3) entity, is recognized for its leadership in advancing innovation and leading transformation in virtual care, digital health, hybrid care, artificial intelligence, and next generation connected care.
