NCCPA and it's misplaced lobbying to West Virginia - NCCPA defeated by the looks

[ventana]

Very interesting article

 

Appears that the NCCPA filled  Governor Jim Justice head with a bunch of alternative facts, but when the real facts came out he realized his error.....

 

http://www.wvgazettemail.com/gazette-op-ed-commentaries/20170603/rafael-rodighiero-justice-prevails-with-bill-to-improve-patient-care

 

 

 

Governor Jim Justice made the right decision this week to include House Bill 116, and its companion bill Senate Bill 1014, on his special legislative session agenda. This legislation enhances the ability of physician assistants (PAs) to provide health care to people who need it throughout our state.

A previous bill, SB 347, was unanimously passed by the legislature in April only to be vetoed by the governor, who may not have had all the facts when he made his decision.

Since then, West Virginia’s 1,200 PAs, through letters, phone calls and comments on social media, successfully urged Justice to revive the bill for the sake of their patients.

PAs are state-licensed medical professionals that practice medicine on health care teams with physicians and other providers. They practice and prescribe medication in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, U.S. territories, and the uniformed services.

ADVERTISING

 

Instead of a 72-hour supply of schedule III medications, which include common treatments for a range of conditions, including moderate pain, the new legislation would allow PAs to prescribe a 30-day supply, reducing the burden on families who need more than a three-day supply of a medication and, for example, can’t drive a great distance to see a physician to obtain it.

The legislation also allows PAs to sign a more extensive list of medical forms that previously had to be signed by physicians, including handicap hunting certificates and Provider Order for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms. The latter is especially important for patients and families facing end-of-life decisions when people are often at their most vulnerable.

This noncontroversial legislation has support from physicians like State Sen. Tom Takubo, D.O., who represents District 17, and recognizes that there are people in West Virginia who simply do not have access to health care, especially in rural or medically underserved areas. He and others see PAs as part of the solution to providing quality health care in the state.

PAs in West Virginia are grateful and relieved that the governor has reconsidered his initial position and encourage the legislature and the governor to swiftly pass the legislation as introduced as quickly as possible, because patients should not suffer due to further delays.

Rafael Rodighiero is a physician assistant in Logan.

- See more at: http://www.wvgazettemail.com/gazette-op-ed-commentaries/20170603/rafael-rodighiero-justice-prevails-with-bill-to-improve-patient-care#sthash.YsY46EV5.dpuf

[DizzyJ]

Score for PAs! Great news. 

[rev ronin]

The real question is will the NCCPA-desired parts be in the revised bill?  Nothing I've yet seen says it's completely unchanged from the veto'ed version....  In fact, a new version may be a way to avoid a straight veto override... But I'm not sure how the timing works on that in a special session.