President’s Medicare Executive Order Calls for Lifting Regulatory Burdens

Proposed Changes Geared Toward Improving Patient Access to Care

October 8, 2019

By Jenni Roberson

On Thursday, October 3, President Trump signed an executive order (EO) that called for several changes to be made in the Medicare Program, including advancing reforms that benefit PAs and Medicare patients they serve.

“We are grateful that the president’s executive order included instructions to remove unnecessary supervision requirements and other barriers to authorize PAs to practice at the top of their education, training, and experience,” said David E. Mittman, PA, DFAAPA, president and chair of the AAPA Board of Directors. “These changes will modernize Medicare and improve patient access and choice.”

The EO directs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to propose reforms to the Medicare program to enable providers to spend more time with patients  by eliminating several burdensome regulatory requirements , including supervision requirements of the Medicare program that are more stringent than Federal or State laws require and that limit PAs from practicing at the top of their profession. The Executive Order also calls for reviewing regulatory policies that create reimbursement disparities.

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