The
House Health Policy Committee approved a package of legislation Tuesday that
would allow the State to permanently revoke the license or registration of a
health professional under certain circumstances. Under current law, a license
or registration can only be permanently revoked if a patient is sexually
assaulted by a health professional.
The
full House then acted on the package Wednesday, with all four bills passing
unanimously.
House
Bills 5839,
5840,
5841,
and 5842,
sponsored by Representatives Klint Kesto (R-Commerce Township), Pat Somerville
(R-New Boston), Jeff Farrington (R-Utica), and Peter Pettalia (R-Presque Isle),
were introduced largely in response to the well-publicized story of a
Metro-Detroit area doctor who falsely diagnosed patients with cancer and
administered unneeded treatments to turn a profit.
The
legislation would allow the disciplinary subcommittees of medical licensing
boards to permanently revoke a health care professional’s license or
registration if the professional harmed a patient after intentionally engaging
in fraudulent activity, or after conviction for murder, manslaughter, or
similar offenses.