PA · Michigan
Collaborative Practice Agreement for Physician Assistants in Michigan
Yes, a written physician agreement is required. Michigan calls it a Written Practice Agreement.
No independent-practice or experience-based autonomy pathway exists for PAs in Michigan — a written practice agreement with a participating physician is required for as long as the PA practices (MCL 333.17047-333.17048).
What the collaboration must look like
The rules the physician relationship has to follow. Each fact comes from the statute or board rule listed under sources.
Proximity
Available remotely (no on-site requirement)
Michigan's statutory 'supervision' standard (as applied to delegated practitioners generally) requires continuous availability of direct communication and regularly scheduled record review/consultation — no on-site or fixed mile/minute radius is codified for PAs.
Supervision ratio
Up to 4 at a time
A physician who is a sole practitioner, or who practices in a group and treats patients on an outpatient basis, may not supervise more than 4 PAs at one time (MCL 333.17048). The statute does not extend this cap to hospital-based settings the way the outpatient text is worded — confirm applicability before assuming it's universal.
Chart review
Not codified — left to the agreement
Meeting cadence
Not codified — left to the agreement
Prescriptive authority
Separate prescribing terms required · controlled substances permitted
The practice agreement must define delegated duties, excluding any task the PA/physician isn't qualified to perform. The Board of Medicine may prohibit or restrict delegation of, or require higher supervision for, services that pose serious risk or require extensive training. Exact controlled-substance schedule limits were not independently confirmed in this pass — requires DEA registration.
Written agreement
Required
Practice ownership (corporate practice of medicine)
Licensee-only ownership required — Professional Service Corporation or Professional LLC — a PA who is a shareholder/member must disclose whether any physicians (MD/DO/DPM) are also shareholders/members. Since July 19, 2010, PAs may NOT organize a PLLC with only PAs as members — some physician/podiatrist involvement in ownership is required (MCL 333.17048).
This ownership question is legally distinct from the clinical practice agreement above.
Legal sources for these rules (3)
What a collaborating physician costs here
Typical monthly cost in Michigan
$500 – $600
Estimate for one Physician Assistant. This state's proximity rules add a small premium.
About Michigan's rules
Michigan has no independent-practice pathway for NPs, CNMs, CNSs, or PAs — specialty certification alone never grants autonomous practice, and delegated authority is renewable/revocable rather than a one-time threshold. CRNAs may deliver anesthesia care independently within the perioperative period but must still maintain a collaborating physician/dentist/podiatrist relationship. A PA-only PLLC has been prohibited since 2010.
Other clinicians in Michigan: see the state overview.