Advocacy News Archives

Medicare Moves to Implement PA Direct Pay

PAs moved one step closer to being eligible to be paid directly under the Medicare program when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued PA direct payment authorizing language in the 2022 proposed Physician Fee Schedule.

July 20, 2021

Connecticut 2021 Legislative Session Ends with Major Wins for PAs and Patients

ConnAPA’s top legislative priority in 2021 recently became law, adding PAs to almost 80 areas of state law which only previously mentioned physicians and/or nurse practitioners. Connecticut law also now authorizes PAs and NPs to order home health and hospice care.

July 20, 2021

More Barriers to PA Practice Fall as Florida PAs Celebrate Legislative Win

PAs in Florida applaud the enactment of legislation that makes significant improvements to PA practice. House Bill 431 was signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on June 29, modernizing several aspects of PA regulation.

June 30, 2021

Tennessee PAs Successful in Quest to Create a PA Board

The Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants secured a significant win for PAs in the state last month. On May 26, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed HB 1080, which establishes the Board of PAs – a tenet of Optimal Team Practice.

June 29, 2021

Oregon Governor Signs Legislation Replacing Physician Supervision with Collaborative Practice Environment

Oregon Governor Kate Brown recently signed legislation modernizing state statutes to reflect the collaborative way PAs provide patient care and making PAs responsible for the care they provide. The bill also made permanent changes to PA use of telehealth authorized during the pandemic.

June 28, 2021

Rule Change Provides More Flexibility to PAs Ordering Diabetic Shoes

Due to 2020 policy changes, PAs, in certain circumstances, are now allowed to order therapeutic shoes. While the ability to order diabetic shoes is now somewhat more permissive, the practice is still cumbersome and continues to contain unnecessary restrictions on PAs.

May 21, 2021

West Virginia Association of PAs’ 2021 Legislative Priorities Signed into Law

West Virginia PAs are the latest in the country to claim a legislative win this year! On April 21, Gov. Jim Justice signed SB 714, which makes many improvements to the PA practice environment in the Mountain State.

May 5, 2021

Changes to E/M Codes: What PAs Need to Know

A new code structure for new and established outpatient Evaluation and Management (E/M) services is in effect. PA Emily Hill helps you understand what you need to know about the changes and how they will impact your own practice.

May 4, 2021

New Guidelines for Buprenorphine Treatment Provide Exemption to Burdensome Training Requirements

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released new buprenorphine practice guidelines providing an exemption to the requirement for PAs to obtain 24 hours of training prior to treating patients with buprenorphine – a major barrier to treatment for PA patients.

April 28, 2021

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