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Macy Foundation Report Calls for Removing Barriers to PA Practice in Primary Care

The Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation has published recommendations for improving primary care from a January health policy conference that invited a diverse array of primary care stakeholders entitled, "Who Will Provide Primary Care and How Will They Be Trained?" In particular, the summary report from the conference chairs urged that state and national policies be changed to remove barriers that make it difficult for physician assistants to serve as primary care providers and leaders of patient-centered medical homes or other models of primary care delivery. For more information, please contact Ellen Rathfon, AAPA Senior Director of Professional Affairs, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PAs Exempted in Wisconsin Law to Regulate Radiographers

Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle signed Public Act 106 on February 4, making Wisconsin the 39th state to regulate the practice of radiography and radiologic technologists. The new law exempts PAs from needing a radiography license to perform delegated procedures using ionizing radiation. PAs being exempted in this bill was no accident, as leaders from the Wisconsin Academy of PAs worked with officials from the state Health Department and others to assure that PAs were exempted from radiographer requirements in the new law. Wisconsin is the fourth state in 12 months to enact provisions related to PA use of ionizing radiation. Please visit the AAPA Web site for more information about PAs and ionizing radiation, or please contact Liz Roe, AAPA Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Massachusetts Ionizing Radiation Bill Passes Committee

A bill that allows PAs who complete specified training to use ionizing radiation, including fluoroscopy, has been reported favorably by the Massachusetts Joint Committee on Public Health. The Massachusetts Association of Physician Assistants testified in support of this legislation. Current state regulations prohibit PAs from performing procedures that use ionizing radiation, regardless of the training and experience of the PA or the supervising physician's scope of practice. AAPA recently collaborated with the American Society of Radiologic Technology to establish a national consensus curriculum for PAs who use fluoroscopy.  For more information, please contact David Ashner, AAPA Analyst for State Advocacy & Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Kentucky PAs Support Bill to Authorize Scheduled Drug Prescriptive Authority and Much More

The House Health and Welfare Committee voted to favorably report a bill that will allow PAs to prescribe Schedule II through V medications. The Kentucky Academy of Physician Assistants testified in support of HB 358, which would also remove chart co-signature requirements from the law, permit PAs to authenticate forms which may be ordinarily signed by his or her supervising physician, and reduce the current 18 month continuous on-site supervision requirement for new graduates to six months. For more information, please contact Stephanie Radix, AAPA Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Bill to Modernize the PA Practice Act Moving Through Maryland Legislature

The Maryland Academy of Physician Assistants has been working hard to ensure that their efforts to modernize PA practice in the state become a reality. HB 323 and SB 308 seek to authorize the Board of Physicians to issue a license to PAs (the state currently "certifies" PAs), reduce the length of time currently required to process delegation agreements, and improve the reporting language for PAs who are terminated for quality of care issues. For more information, please contact Stephanie Radix, AAPA Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PAs Included in Indiana Regulations Governing Opioid Treatment Centers

New regulations in Indiana were published in January, enforcing changes made to the law in 2007 to regulate opioid treatment centers (OTCs), include PAs in its definition of an "authorized health professional," and authorize PAs to perform duties delegated by a medical director in an OTC. It also sets forth the standards by which health professionals (including PAs) may serve as counselors in these clinics and recognizes the role of PAs in managing substance abuse and opioid addiction. For more information, please contact Liz Roe, AAPA Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Unintended Consequences in Tennessee Bill

Upon recommendation by a single physician unsatisfied with the pain management practice of some CRNAs and some nurse practitioners, the Tennessee legislature is considering a bill that threatens PA scope of practice. SB 3332 and HB 3580 propose to limit PA practice of pain management joint injections to when a supervising physician is present in the building. The legislation proposes a dramatic departure from current state law, which allows a supervising physician to delegate specific duties governed by protocols agreed upon by PAs and supervising physicians. Although no mention was made of dissatisfaction with PA practice in pain management, PAs were included in the bill. The Tennessee PA legislative leadership is vigorously working to defeat the bill or to alternatively have PAs removed from its provisions. For more information, please contact Stephanie Radix, AAPA Assistant Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Professional Corporations Bill Passed by Iowa House

The Iowa House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly in favor of a bill that will allow PAs to participate in ownership of professional corporations. The bill, which was passed by the Iowa Senate in 2009, now goes back to the Senate for what should be quick concurrence on amendments. PAs in most of the states surrounding Iowa already allow PAs to participate in practice ownership. AAPA has a summary of practice ownership laws in all 50 states and DC included in new "PAs and Practice Ownership" resources on the AAPA Web site. For further information, please contact David Ashner, AAPA Analyst for State Advocacy & Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PA Licensing Bill Unanimously Passes Utah Senate

Utah Senate Bill 139 cleared its final legislative hurdle last Friday without a dissenting vote. The legislation increases the proportional representation of PAs on the regulatory board and clarifies that licensed PAs may precept PA students. For more information, please contact Ann Davis, PA-C, AAPA Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

New York's PA "Big Bill" Awaits Governor's Signature

The old saying "when it rains, it pours" was proven emphatically in Albany last month when key legislation that had been supported by PAs in New York for over a decade shot through both legislative chambers in less than a week and has been sent to the governor's office for signature. The legislation, which NYSSPA has nicknamed the "Big Bill," clarifies that any medical service physicians are authorized by law to perform can be delegated to PAs. Many existing laws regarding specific medical services do not mention PAs, which causes confusion among PAs, supervising physicians, practice administrators and patients. For more information, please visit AAPA's checklist of areas where PAs should be specifically included in state law or regulation or contact David Ashner, AAPA Analyst for State Advocacy & Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

California Bill Introduced to Remove Barriers to PA Practice

Legislation co-sponsored by California Representative Nathan Fletcher, keynote speaker at the 2009 Legislative Coordinators Meeting at the AAPA Annual Conference in San Diego, authorizes PAs to certify state disability, order durable medical equipment, and sign documents and forms ordinarily signed by a physician when delegated to do so. California PA leaders are also working with PAs from the Association of PAs in Cardiovascular Surgery and AAPA staff to address regulations that limit PA ability to assist at surgery. For more information, please contact Ann Davis, PA-C, AAPA Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Interested PAs Urged to Attend State Legislative Meeting at AAPA Annual Conference

All PAs interested in state government advocacy are invited to attend the annual State Legislative Coordinators meeting on Tuesday, June 1 from 8-10 am at the AAPA annual conference in Atlanta. The meeting will include a federal update, news on emerging trends and strategies, and an opportunity to share and debrief with like-minded colleagues and Academy staff. Immediately following, the Consortium of PA Representatives to State Regulatory Agencies will hold its annual meeting from 10 am - 12 noon. All conference attendees interested in state regulation of the PA profession are invited to attend. For more information, please contact Ann Davis, PA-C, AAPA Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

PA Regulators Encouraged to Attend FSMB Annual Meeting

PA regulators are encouraged to attend the annual meeting of the Federation of State Medical Boards April 22-24th in Chicago. For more information, please contact Ann Davis, PA-C, AAPA Director of State Advocacy and Outreach, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Legislative Watch is a monthly state government newsletter written by Ann Davis, PA-C, AAPA Director of State Government Advocacy and Outreach ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 703-836-2272, ext 3201).Newsletter editors may reprint non-sensitive items if you credit the source using its full name: The American Academy of Physician Assistants' Legislative Watch. Failure to do so will annoy the Leprechauns. You don't want to risk it...