Advocacy

NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe asks American Academy of Physician Associates President Todd Pickard about a lawsuit seeking more generous caps on student loans for PA and nursing programs.

The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the PA Education Association filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging that the Department of Education’s impending rule change on the borrowing cap for physician associate students is unlawful.

The American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA) and the Physician Associates Education Association (PAEA) filed a lawsuit aimed at reversing a Department of Education regulation that the plaintiffs claim violates the Administrative Procedure Act. They are separately requesting an emergency injunction that seeks to block the rule from taking effect for PA students on July 1.

In a recent legislative achievement for physician associates, Delaware has joined the growing list of states enacting reforms that drive practice modernization, with a bill newly signed to allow more PAs to serve rural communities and work under an updated title that communicates the profession to patients in alignment with the American Academy of Physician Associates.

The Delaware House unanimously passed House Bill 325 on Tuesday, a measure aimed at expanding access to care and strengthening the state’s health care workforce. Sponsored by Rep. Alonna Berry and Sen. Nicole Poore, the legislation seeks to modernize the physician associate profession and reflect the role these providers already play in Delaware’s health care system.

Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed a bill into law May 12 that allows experienced PAs to practice without a formal on-paper agreement with physicians and formally adopts the “physician associates” title.

Maine has become the first state to hit the “trifecta” of physician associate (PA) practice modernization after Governor Mills signed LD 2088 on April 6.

A growing number of states are considering legislation to change the professional title of “physician assistant” to “physician associate,” reflecting what supporters say is the evolution of the PA role in modern care teams.

Today, the vast majority of physician associates (PAs) graduate from PA school with a master’s degree. But the recent proliferation of doctoral programs, including PA-specific programs that culminate with a Doctor of Science in Physician Assistant Studies or Doctor of Medical Science (DMSc), has raised critical questions across the PA community.