Employers' Resource Guide
Finding a PA Physicians and PAs The Role of the PA
Reimbursement & Salary Issues Professional & Practice Issues Additional Information

The AAPA is your connection to physician assistants. As the only national organization representing PAs in all medical and surgical specialties, AAPA is the recognized source for information about the profession.

This page was developed to help employers provide quality medical care to their patients through the use of the physician/PA medical team. As practice laws change and the health care delivery system evolves, this site will be updated. If you have specific questions about the role of PAs, please contact the AAPA at aapa@aapa.org. The members and staff of the Academy are working to enlist the help of all health care employers in improving patient access to quality, cost effective medical care.

Finding a PA for Your Practice

The AAPA offers employers two excellent print PA recruitment advertising options:

AAPA News:  The official newsletter of the Academy is published twice monthly except in June and December.  It is distributed as a member benefit to more than 35,000 fellow, associate, and student members of the AAPA.  For classified advertising information, contact Valley Forge Publishing at 800/983-7737; fax, 610/935-3072, e-mail, AAPAclassified@valleyforgepress.com. Click here to view a copy of the rate card.

JAAPA:  AAPA also publishes the Journal of the AAPA (JAAPA) each month. It is the Academy's official clinical journal and articles are peer reviewed. The magazine is circulated to graduate and student physician assistants nationwide and abroad.  For classified advertising information, contact Valley Forge Publishing Group at 800/983-7737; fax, 610/935-3072.

In addition, AAPA provides an on-line recruitment service called The PA Job Link which includes additional employer services.

Some employers have turned to state PA organizations and PA educational programs for assistance in finding PAs.  The Academy is a federated structure of 57 chartered chapters representing PAs in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and the federal services. There are approximately 140 accredited physician assistant programs located throughout the United States.

Physicians and PAs

The relationship between a PA and the supervising physician is one of mutual trust and respect. The physician assistant is a representative of the physician, treating the patient in the style and manner developed and directed by the supervising physician. The physician and the PA practice as members of a medical team This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader. In 1995, the American Medical Association developed suggested guidelines for how physicians and PAs should work as a team in the delivery of medical care. These guidelines are endorsed by the AAPA.

The Role of the PA

The role and responsibilities of PAs are determined by state law, the individual PA's experience and education, and the scope of the supervising physician's practice. Included in their comprehensive list of responsibilities, physician assistants take medical histories, perform physical examinations, order and interpret laboratory tests, diagnose and treat illnesses, suture wounds, and assist in surgery. In virtually all states plus the District of Columbia, PAs are authorized to write prescriptions. One of the health care functions routinely performed by physician assistants is the evaluation and certification of health status.

The following is a list of some of the documents on the AAPA Web site that go into greater detail about the legal and regulatory issues concerning physician assistants. For the complete list of government and professional affairs documents, visit the Government Issues section of this Web site.

State Laws and Regulations Covering PAs
States That Authorize Physician Assistant Prescribing
List of State PA Licensing Boards
Summary of State Provisions Regarding Temporary Authorization to Practice as a PA
Ratio of Physician Assistants to Supervising Physicians

Reimbursement and Salary Issues

Reimbursement for physician services provided by PAs is always made directly to the practice and not to the individual physician assistants. PAs are covered by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE (formerly known as CHAMPUS), and most third-party insurance companies.

The following is a list of some of the documents on the AAPA Web site that go into greater detail about reimbursement and salary issues. This Web site also contains a special section on reimbursement issues.

Balanced Budget Act of 1997 -- PAs and Medicare
PAs as Medicaid Managed Care Providers
Expanded Coverage for Medical Services Provided by PAs Under Medicare
Third-Party Coverage of Services
Medicare Billing for Teaching Physicians
Salary Profiles
Fringe Benefits Report
Antitrust Issues: Coverage and Payment for Services
Antitrust Issues: Denial of Hospital Privileges

Professional & Practice Issues

The physician assistant profession has grown to more than 50,000 practicing PAs in just over 35 years of existence.  However, many employers still are confused when it comes to such issues as how to credential PAs This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader, whether PAs practice under protocols, and the difference between PAs and other health care providers.

The following is a list of some of the documents on the AAPA Web site that go into greater detail about a wide variety of professional and practice issues affecting PAs. For more information, visit the Professional Practice Issues section of this Web site.

Quality and Risk Management Issues
Guidelines for Ethical Conduct of the PA Profession This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs and Anesthesiologists Assistants: The Distinctions This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs and Orthopedic PAs: The Distinctions This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs and Women's Health This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs and Emergency Medicine This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
Surgical PAs This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs in Pediatrics This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader
PAs in Hospital Practice: Credentialing and Privileging This .PDF file must be viewed using Acrobat Reader

Additional Information of Interest to Employers

"Into the Future: Physician Assistants Look to the 21st Century", a strategic plan for the physician assistant profession
PA Facts At A Glance
AAPA Annual Physician Assistant Census Report
The PA Education Process
Standards and Guidelines for an Accredited PA Education Program
AAPA Membership Benefits and Services
AAPA Fax on Demand Service

Links to Other Resources
 


 

Last Revised: 8/29/02