Kansas Enacts PA-Positive Telemedicine Law

Kansas patients who receive healthcare services from PAs via telemedicine will now be assured that these services will be covered by insurers due to the recent enactment of H.B. 2028.

NC Chapter Builds Relationships with Legislators, PA Programs

In 2016, the North Carolina Academy of PAs hosted a PA Day event at the North Carolina Legislature and quickly realized that most legislators lacked a deep understanding of the PA profession. Concerned by their discovery, NCAPA designed a plan to develop better relationships with lawmakers and help them understand more about the PA profession.

Illinois Chapter Renews Practice Law and Removes Barriers to Care

In 2015, PAs in Illinois were facing major challenges. The profession was losing ground in the marketplace and would soon face the sunset of the law authorizing PA practice in the entire state. Concerned about the direction that their profession was heading, the Illinois Academy of PAs decided to undertake a major overhaul of their organization and advocacy efforts.

PAs Vote to Investigate Changing Their Professional Title

At the annual conference of the American Academy of PAs (AAPA), members of its House of Delegates voted to investigate the feasibility of changing the PA (physician assistant) title, along with potential alternatives that better reflect modern PA practice.

DC Board of Medicine Removes Unnecessary Barrier to PA Practice

The District of Columbia’s (D.C.) Board of Medicine (BoMed) recently modernized and streamlined PA practice.   In a post on its website, BoMed announced that it will no longer issue letters “approving” delegation agreements. Effective immediately, receipt of delegation agreements will simply be confirmed via email.

New Maryland Law Authorizes PAs to Prepare and Dispense Medications

On May 8, 2018, Gov. Larry Hogan signed HB 591/SB 549 into law. The legislation, which becomes effective on Oct. 1, 2018, was a priority bill for the Maryland Academy of PAs (MAPA) and authorizes PAs to prepare and dispense medications they can already prescribe within their scope of practice. 

Tennessee PAs Achieve Collaboration

Tennessee PAs are celebrating the enactment of SB 1515 (companion bill HB 2239) which was signed by Gov. Bill Haslam on April 2. The legislation changes the terminology used to describe the manner in which PAs and physicians practice together from "supervision" to "collaboration."

Healthcare Access Stalled at Red Cliff Reservation

PA Khou Xiong’s patients experienced an interruption in care when the health center she works for unexpectedly lost its physician medical director. Read how modernizing PA-practice laws could improve the status quo for PA Xiong and PAs in similar situations across the country.