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I got this email from MAPA and Heather - they just seem to keep working away at the issues and making slow but steady gains!!

 

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[TD=align: left]We want to share some very exciting legislative news! This past Friday, the House of Representatives released its initial version of their cost containment bill and we expect the Massachusetts Senate to release their bill this week.

We are pleased to report that the House bill includes nearly all of the provisions MAPA had been seeking. If passed into law, these provisions modernize PA practice and create the most positive change to state statute since the passage of prescription practice many years ago.

Highlights on Cost Containment Changes for PAs:

  • Consumer Choice of PA Services - requires that all carriers recognize PAs as participating providers and shall include coverage on a nondiscriminatory basis for care provided by PA for the purposes of health maintenance, diagnosis and treatment. Such coverage shall include benefits for primary care, intermediate care and inpatient care, including care provided in a hospital, clinic, professional office, home care setting, long-term care setting, mental health or substance abuse program, or any other setting when rendered by a PA who is a participating provider
  • Primary Care Provider Status - grants PAs primary care provider status similar to our NP counterparts. In addition to helping to meet workforce shortages in primary care throughout the state, this change should make it possible for PAs to field a panel of patients as health care transitions from fee-for-service to global payments and similar models.
  • Supervision – completely eliminates any restrictions on the number of PAs that a physician can supervise at any one time (presently at 4).
  • Prescriptive Practice – eliminates the requirement that any prescription written by a PA include the name of the supervising physician. As you know, many PAs have several supervising physicians, making the requirement an administrative burden.
  • Board of Registration - clarifies that PAs practice under a license – updates the following definition: Physician assistant, a person who is duly registered(adds) “ and licensed” by the board.

Unfortunately, the following changes we hoped to see included are not part of the House bill:

  • Medical Malpractice: PAs are not including in the section prohibiting an apology for adverse outcomes from being used against a provider in a court of law. Unfortunately, PAs were left off the list of providers covered under this section. We are certainly seeking to amend this section to include PAs.
  • Health Care Workforce Center: PAs are not included in this center established to improve access to services and monitor trends in NPs and “other physician and nurse providers” as primary care providers. We strongly advocated for this change and know that barriers to primary care cannot be eliminated without active consideration and study being given to PAs’ role in the field.
  • Health Care Workforce Trust Fund: The legislation establishes a fund to make awards to health professionals for repayment assistance for medical or nursing school loans, with a portion devoted to heath care professionals working in medically underserved areas. PAs are unfortunately not eligible for loan forgiveness under the legislation.

What’s Next:

The House has indicated that it will take up their bill in June. The Senate bill, which comes out later this week (and will be debated next week), will include many of the provisions in this House version, as well as those not included. We will alert you as soon as it is available.

Please watch of an action alert that will follow later this week which will update you on the Senate version and ask you to contact your legislators to support these very important and vital updates to PA statute.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. Link to full language: http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/House/H04070

Heather Trafton MBA, PA-C

Immediate Past President and Legislative Chair

hatrafton@gmail.com

Julie Buldoc, Charles Group Consulting

jbolduc@charlesgroupconsulting.com

This e-mail alert is being sent to you by the AAPA at the request of your state chapter. The Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants: Partners in State Advocacy

 

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