MDHHS Provides Student Loan Repayment to Healthcare Professionals Treating Opioid Use Disorders

As part of its multi-faceted plan to tackle the opioid epidemic, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) makes medical providers eligible for student loan repayment if they offer drug treatment for opioid use disorders.

The goal of the program is to increase the availability of high-quality treatment statewide, especially in areas where treatment is difficult to access. Healthcare professionals working in a wide range of settings will be eligible for a loan repayment of $ 15,000 to $ 30,000 if they begin providing drug-assisted treatment or if they increase the number of patients they need. currently see. Providers can also receive a bonus of $ 5,000 if they operate in a county that does not have medication-assisted treatment providers.

“Michigan continues to need more health care providers to treat patients with opioid use disorders,” MDHHS Director Robert Gordon said. “Expanding treatment capacity is essential for Michigan to continue to fight the opioid epidemic that has torn apart so many families here and across the country. “

Michigan will use federal targeted state response dollars for the opioid crisis from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to repay medical education loans. This is the second time that MDHHS has accepted applications for the program. Sixty-five providers saw their student loans partially repaid after applying for the first round earlier this year thanks to a partnership with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

“Drug-assisted treatment is the gold standard for the treatment of opioid use disorders. Increasing the capacity to deliver this treatment will help more people recover and thrive, ”said Dr Joneigh Khaldun, MDHHS Medical Director and Chief Health Assistant.

The program is available to medical and osteopathic physicians, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and addiction counselors who are trained to offer buprenorphine under the Drug Treatment Act 2000. To be eligible, providers must start offering opioid therapy, increase the number of patients they are currently seeing, or increase the number of patients they are allowed to see. Providers who work in a variety of settings are eligible, including primary care, family medicine, opioid treatment programs, emergency medicine, hospital settings, prisons, and prisons.

Applications can be filed until November 30. The MDHHS will prioritize requests based on the number of patients to be served and the need for additional treatment capacity in the county.

You can find additional applications and information at

, the Michigan Opioid Treatment Access Loan Repayment Program web page. Healthcare providers are encouraged to review material and submit claims when the cycle begins. They can contact Megan Linton at 517-335-6713 for more information

Michigan has been significantly affected by the national opioid epidemic. The annual number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the state has more than tripled since 2011, from 622 to 2,053. As part of the whole-of-government plan to address the problem, the MDHHS has developed a focused action plan on prevention, early intervention and treatment.

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