New Survey Shows Michiganders Face Growing Wait Times, Want More Options, Choice and Access to Nurse Practitioners

PR Newswire

AUSTIN, Texas, June 19, 2026

AUSTIN, Texas, June 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As Michigan continues to grapple with health care provider shortages and mounting patient wait times, a new statewide survey of Michigan voters finds that three-quarters support legislation making it easier to choose a nurse practitioner (NP) as their health care provider. The survey, conducted by the Mellman Group, also finds that a majority support removing outdated restrictions on NPs and are more likely to vote for legislators who do so.

One in three Michiganders report waiting longer than they thought was reasonable for a health care appointment in the past year. Among those experiencing unreasonable waits, 41% waited more than a month, and one in five of those individuals ended up seeking care in the emergency room or went without care altogether.

"Across Michigan, patients are facing challenges in receiving timely health care services. Outdated Michigan laws are needlessly adding to this problem," said Naila Russell, DNP, FNP-BC, Legislative Committee Chair of the Michigan Council of Nurse Practitioners. "Michiganders want solutions, and they want more options and choice for care."

The survey found 76% of Michigan voters support legislation making it easier to choose an NP as their health care provider, up from 73% in 2022. Among the 63% of voters who have personally seen an NP, confidence in NP-delivered care is high, with 87% confident in the services NPs provide, up from 85% in 2022.

Voters are also sending a clear signal to Lansing. Nearly 60% say they would be more likely to vote for a legislator who removes restrictions on NPs, up six points from 52% in 2022. This support is broad-based, extending across party affiliation, gender, age, race and region of the state. An overwhelming 86% say improving access to timely health care will be an important issue when they vote in November.

"The data is unambiguous. Michiganders know and trust nurse practitioners, and they want the freedom to choose them without government-imposed barriers," said Phillip Bergquist, CEO of Michigan Primary Care Association. "These restrictions don't protect patients. They prevent them from getting the timely, high-quality care they deserve. Removing the unnecessary restrictions on nurse practitioners is one of the most straight forward steps Michigan can take to combat rising health care costs and long wait times."

Michigan currently requires NPs to operate under a physician agreement, a restriction that 27 other states, Washington, DC and two U.S. territories have already eliminated through Full Practice Authority (FPA) legislation. The National Academy of Medicine, the National Governors Association, the American Enterprise Institute, and other leading organizations all recognize FPA as a way to improve access to high quality, affordable health care.

The survey was conducted by the Mellman Group May 11-17, 2026, among 600 registered voters in Michigan via live calls and texts-to-cells. The margin of error is +/- 4% at a 95% confidence level.

The American Association of Nurse Practitioners^® (AANP) is the largest professional membership organization representing the interests of nurse practitioners (NPs) and NP students in the United States. As The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner^®, AANP advances health policy and promotes excellence in practice, education and research to support high-quality, patient-centered care. Learn more at aanp.org.