Michigan has become the 29th state to join the PA Licensure Compact after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed legislation easing multistate practice for physician assistants, according to the American Academy of Physician Associates.
The compact lets eligible PAs obtain a “compact privilege” to practice in other member states without repeating the full licensure process in each one. The PA Compact Commission anticipates Michigan PAs will be able to apply for those privileges by early-to-mid 2027.
Michigan’s entry extends a growing list of state adoptions. For health system leaders, the draw is workforce reach: the compact widens the pool of clinicians who can staff hard-to-fill posts and expands telehealth across state lines.
“By removing burdensome administrative red tape and enabling multi-state license portability, [Michigan’s new legislation] ensures that highly qualified PAs can deliver timely, high-quality care where it is needed most — especially in our rural and medically underserved communities,” Julia Burkhardt, president of the Michigan Academy of Physician Associates, said in a July 22 AAPA statement.
