Click here for a printer-friendly PDF version of this document.Physician Assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed or, in the case of those employed by the federal government, credentialed, to practice medicine with physician supervision. PAs are located in almost all health care settings and in every medical and surgical specialty, providing high quality, cost-effective medical care. PAs deliver a broad range of medical and surgical services to diverse populations in rural and urban settings. In some small rural communities, a PA is the only medical provider. Based on its annual collection of data on the profession, the AAPA projects that over 257 million patient visits will have been made to PAs and approximately 332 million prescriptions will have been written by PAs in 2008.
Nearly 75,000 clinically practicing PAs are represented by the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA).
The AAPA looks forward to working with the 111th Congress and the Administration to advance the following legislative initiatives.
Enacting Meaningful Health Care Reform: AAPA is committed to working with the 111th Congress to enact health care reform legislation that meets the needs of the American people and encompasses the Academy’s health care reform principles, including: access to quality, affordable, cost-effective health care for all Americans; the use of evidence-based medicine; physician-directed teams of health care providers; optimal utilization of primary care; emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention; medical liability reform that treats both patients and providers equitably and encourages health care professionals to apologize for an adverse outcome without increasing risk; and sustainable financing and payment mechanisms that take into account comparative-effectiveness information. In addition, the Academy will support federal initiatives to strengthen the viability of Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The Academy looks forward to working with the 111th Congress to reauthorize a strong SCHIP.
Promoting Access to Care in Medically Underserved Communities: The PA profession has a longstanding commitment to practice in our nation’s small towns, rural areas, and medically underserved urban communities. In states where PAs have been included as Medicaid covered providers, PAs have been credited with improving access to quality, cost-effective health care. Unfortunately, not all states include PAs as Medicaid covered providers, needlessly restricting access to care for one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations. Nor do all states guarantee access to care provided by PAs through SCHIP. Accordingly, the AAPA seeks to ensure that underserved patients in all states consistently have access to care provided by PAs through enactment of legislation requiring that PAs be recognized as Medicaid and SCHIP covered providers. Additionally, the Academy will seek opportunities in the 111th Congress to expand access to care in underserved communities through federal legislation that is designed to strengthen America’s rural health clinics, small rural hospitals, and other components of the rural health care safety net. The Academy will also seek opportunities to address disparities in health care research, access, and outcomes, as well as opportunities to confront limited health literacy and to promote the use of appropriately trained medical interpreters for patients with limited ability to speak or understand English.
Ensuring Access and Continuity of Care for Medicare Beneficiaries: The AAPA seeks changes to the Medicare statute, clearly affirming that physicians may delegate to PAs the ability to order home health, hospice, and skilled nursing facility care, as well as to provide hospice care. The legislative changes are necessary to ensure Medicare beneficiaries’ access to needed health care services, to ensure continuity of care, and to increase the availability of quality medical care. The Academy will work with the House and Senate to reintroduce and pass the Medicare Physician Assistant Continuity of Care Act. Additionally, the AAPA will work with the medical community to seek a long-term solution to ongoing problems in the Medicare physician payment update system.
Building a Robust Primary Health Care Workforce that Recognizes the Value of PAs and Increases Support for PA Students and PA Educational Programs: Physician assistants extend the ability of physicians to provide quality medical care and must be an integral component of the nation’s effort to reinvigorate the primary health care workforce. The AAPA supports legislative initiatives to grow the primary health care workforce, including a strong reauthorization of the Title VII Health Professions Programs and increased funding support for PA educational programs through Title VII and other programs. The Academy will also seek opportunities to expand support for PA educational programs and for scholarships and loan repayment for PA students.
The Academy supports legislative efforts to advance the medical home concept and chronic care coordination. These initiatives must recognize that many patients have a principal relationship with a physician assistant as their source of primary medical care and should not inadvertently limit the ability of PAs to develop medical plans and provide needed medical care.
Updating the Federal Workers’ Compensation Program to Allow PAs to Diagnose and Treat Injured Employees: PAs work in virtually every area of medicine and surgery and are covered providers within Medicare, Tri-Care, and most private insurance plans. Additionally, PAs are employed by the federal government to provide medical care, including the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and the Public and Indian Health Services. PAs are also assigned to provide medical care to the President and Vice President of the United States. PAs are designated as covered providers in the overwhelming majority of State workers’ compensation programs. Yet, the federal workers’ compensation program does not recognize PAs’ ability to diagnose and treat federal employees, or provide medical evidence for a worker’s compensation-related injury. Accordingly, the AAPA seeks to reintroduce and pass the Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act, amending the Federal Employment Compensation Act to recognize PAs as covered providers through the federal workers’ compensation program.
Promoting Wellness: The AAPA endorses the use of Healthy People 2010 as a guide to improve the health of the nation. The Academy will seek legislative opportunities in the 111th Congress to promote wellness, healthy lifestyles, and preventive medicine, including provisions to combat childhood and adult obesity; the identification of risk factors related to substance abuse and family violence; immunization against communicable diseases; counseling patients about behaviors that may lead to disease; and promotion of safety practices.
Advancing Stem Cell Research: The AAPA believes the federal government is the single, best source for the large and sustained financial investment needed to move stem cell research forward. The Academy supports the development of federal stem cell policy that embraces the isolation of new embryonic cell lines and promotes the use of nuclear transplantation techniques as a desirable means to create embryonic stem cells for research purposes. The Academy opposes the cloning of human beings for the purpose of reproduction.
Acknowledging the Value and Role of Federally Employed PAs: The AAPA will seek opportunities to update the qualification and classification standards for federally employed PAs; to establish a full-time Director of PA Services at the Department of Veterans Affairs; and to acknowledge the contribution of PAs serving in our nation’s armed forces.
In addition to its legislative priorities, the AAPA will continue its work with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration, and other federal regulatory agencies to promote optimal utilization of the quality medical care provided by physician assistants.
For more information, please contact Sandy Harding, AAPA’s Director of Federal Affairs, at (703) 836-2272, extension 3205, or via e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
