March
12, 2007
From
the “Heavy Lifting” Department
HB 1241, the Indiana legislation designed to authorize physicians
to delegate prescriptive authority to PAs, cleared a major
hurdle when it
was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 95-1 on February
20. Representative Tim Brown, M.D., (R-Crawfordsville), testifying just
prior to the floor vote, stated “This bill is opposed by the Indiana
State Medical Association, and I’m voting for it anway.” The
legislation now goes to Senate committee, where it is likely to encounter
mixed reviews. The Indiana PA legislative team is working hard to solidify
suppor for HB 1241. It will be heard in Senate committee next week. Stand
by for news!
The intrepid Missiouri PAs are working hard in support of companion bills
to clarify the ability of physicians to supervise a PA via telecommunication
in all settings where clinically appropriate. As you’ll recall,
unless some bill is passed, the Board of Healing Arts will promulgate
a rule in August to require on-site supervision in all circumstances.
This entire ugly mess is brought to you courtesy of the Missouri Association
of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons (MAOPS), which sued the Board
of Healing Arts alleging insufficient statutory authority for the board’s
existing regulations authorizing off-site supervision.
The House version of the legislation, HB 497, was heard in committee
on March 1. The PAs supporting the legislation were joined by the Missouri
Hospital Association, the rural health clinic association, the primary
care association, individual physicians, hospital administrators, representatives
of hospital systems, and the Missouri Farm Bureau (which knows all to
well what happens to rural community when its clinic is forced to close).
MAOPS let opposition to the bill, and unhappily, was joined in opposition
by the state medical society and the state association of family physicians.
On March 2, the Sprinfield News-Leader reported on the hearing and voiced
its editorial opinion in favor of the bill, proving that “The Voice
of the Ozarks” is also the voice of reason. Quoting from the editorial:
"Physician
assistants perform amazing work in rural Missouri,
and they do so under reasonable regulations already
in place. Bowles (executive
director for MAOPS, who testified against the bill) can’t
point to specific areas of the poor care she warns about because
the physicians
who supervise PAs can do so adequately under the current system."
"Passing
HB 497 would allow reasonable statewide regulation
of physician assistants and it would maintain
a high standard of care
while
doing the two things that we must do to improve our health care system, reducing
costs and increasing access. Lawmakers should pass HD 497 because
it’s
a reasonable compromise. More restrictive legislation would be
a huge mistake."
A
hearing on the Senate version of the bill is anticipating
next week. Do you have connections in the “Show Me” state?
We’d
love to know about them.
From
the American Academy of Physician Assistants' "Legislative
Watch" a
bi-monthly newsletter written by Michael Powe, AAPA Director
of Health Systems and Reimbursement
Policy.
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