AAPA Submits Comments to DOJ and FTC Underscoring Anticompetitive Regulations Placing Barriers to PA Practice

AAPA letters to DOJ and FTC identify obstacles to PA-provided care on state and federal levels.

July 9, 2025

By Carson Walker, Director, Policy and Professional Advocacy

In May 2025, AAPA submitted comments to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in response to separate, but similar, requests for information (RFIs) regarding the topic of anticompetitive laws and regulations at both the state and federal levels. These comments directly addressed inquiries made within the RFIs and identified obstacles faced by PAs due to anticompetitive measures. Below is a brief summary of the topics AAPA discussed in each, with links to the full letters.

DOJ Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force RFI
The impetus for the DOJ’s RFI was the launch of a new DOJ task force – the Anticompetitive Regulations Task Force.

The new task force, through the RFI, is seeking public input targeting red tape that hinders competition. One of the specific areas the RFI sought comment on was healthcare, stating that “laws and regulations in healthcare markets too often discourage doctors and hospitals from providing low-cost, high-quality healthcare and instead encourage overbilling and consolidation. These kinds of unnecessary anticompetitive regulations put affordable healthcare out of reach for millions of American families.”

While AAPA agrees anticompetitive regulations are impacting healthcare access, we recognized the need to make the task force aware that this concern is not limited to physicians and hospitals. AAPA’s comments outline multiple federal and state barriers to PAs delivering high-quality, affordable care that have no basis in data or safety.

FTC Reducing Anticompetitive Regulatory Barriers RFI
The FTC’s request noted that regulations often “become unnecessarily onerous” and asked stakeholders including healthcare provider organizations to identify examples.

In AAPA’s response to the request, we provided comments on several federal regulations, as well as commonly encountered state regulatory barriers that are unnecessarily onerous. AAPA provided suggestions for the FTC to either eliminate or revise each of these regulatory barriers to maximize the use of PAs and appropriately expand the role of PAs in delivering healthcare to those in need. The Academy’s comments built upon years of work with the FTC on the topic of anticompetitive barriers to PA practice.

For more of AAPA’s comments to federal agencies, visit our Communications with the Federal Executive Branch webpage.

If you have any questions regarding AAPA’s comments, please contact [email protected].

You May Also Like
AAPA Shines Light on Barriers to PA Practice and Opportunities to Improve Care in Multiple Comment Letters to Agencies
AAPA Asks CMS to Remove Regulatory Restrictions on PAs Providing Hospice Care
AAPA’s Letters to HHS, CMS, FDA, and OMB Recommend Changes to Multiple Federal Regulations and Policies