Illinois Senate approves 10-year extension of Illinois PA Practice Act

April 28, 2017

Despite significant interference by the National Commission on Certification of PAs (NCCPA) that put PA practice at risk in the state, the Illinois State Senate unanimously approved a 10-year extension of the Illinois PA Practice Act, which reflects the collaborative nature of PA practice and improves PA billing and ratio requirements.

This important legislation now moves to the House where the chair of the Health Care Licenses Committee, Rep. Cynthia Soto, D-Soto, will be the chief sponsor.

“Congratulations to the Illinois Academy of PAs for their leadership in advancing this important bill that will modernize healthcare laws and help expand access to care to people throughout the state,” said AAPA President and Chair Josanne Pagel, MPAS, PA-C, KARUNA®RMT, DFAAPA.

Prior to the vote, the Illinois Academy of PAs, in partnership with AAPA, defeated an effort by NCCPA to impose a new recertification requirement for license renewal for PAs. Thirty-one states and D.C. do not link PA recertification and licensure and AAPA believes that PAs, like other medical professionals, should be required to maintain their licenses through continuing medical education (CME). AAPA has consistently opposed statutory requirements for PAs to take NCCPA recertification tests for license renewal.

AAPA has repeatedly asked NCCPA to halt its lobbying, which has thus far targeted Illinois, along with New Mexico and West Virginia.

“There is no evidence that current certification for license renewal improves patient safety or outcomes.  Neither physicians nor nurse practitioners are required to pass recertification exams in order to retain their license,” Pagel continued.

Earlier this month, due to NCCPA inference, the West Virginia governor vetoed a bill that had been unanimously approved by the legislature and would have expanded access to high quality healthcare, particularly in medically underserved areas of the state. AAPA along with the more than 900 PAs in the state have asked for the governor to withdraw his veto and add the bill to the agenda of the upcoming special session of the legislature.

AAPA urges all PAs to contact NCCPA leaders at [email protected] or (678) 417-8100 and demand that NCCPA stop the lobbying that is so harmful to PAs and our patients.

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NCCPA lobbying derails PA legislation