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What is a Physician Assistant?
Physician Assistants are health professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. Physician Assistants (PAs) are qualified by graduation from an accredited physician assistant educational program and/or certified by by the National Commission on Certification of PAs. Within the physician/PA relationship, PAs exercise autonomy in medical decision making and provide a broad range of diagnostic and therapeutic services. The clinical role of PAs include primary and specialty care in medical and surgical practice settings in rural and urban areas. PA practice is centered on patient care and may include educational, research and administrative activities.
Click here to register for the 35th Annual PSPA Conference in Harrisburg, Oct 27 - 30
IMPORTANT REIMBURSEMENT ALERT!
PSPA leaders recently received news from Tricia Marriott at AAPA that Aetna has changed their payment policy for services rendered by physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurse midwives. According to the March 2010 edition of Aetna OfficeLink Updates: Mid-Atlantic Region: “Beginning with June 1, 2010 dates of service, Aetna will pay mid-level practitioners at 85 percent of the contracted rates for covered professional services (consistent with the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid Services payment policy).” As part of this policy change, Aetna is asking that Physician Assistants be officially listed in their network provider directories. Please contact your Aetna provider representative for the billing implications of this change in policy.
If you would like to read the newsletter article, follow the link, scroll to Mid-Atlantic, select the March 2010 edition, and go to page 4 for the relevant information:
http://www.aetna.com/healthcare-professionals/news/regional_hcp_newsletters.htm
Regulatory Review We’re very proud of our new osteopathic prescriptive authority and the passage of the Emergency Medicine Act Revision; two major changes that enhance the use of physician assistants in the Commonwealth. The regulations to enact the emergency medicine Act are being discussed, with a public draft possibly ready by March of 2010.
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Keep your License Active If your license has been inactive for greater than four years, the medical board has now implemented steps that you must take in order to have your license reactivated. These steps include having an active NCCPA certificate and taking a pre-approved board review course. If your license has been inactive for less than four years and you have maintained your certification status, we urge you to contact the medical board to have your license reactivated. If you are considering a temporary move out of clinical practice, we strongly advise that you do not let your license lapse. Whether you assume an administrative role, transition into an academic position, or take a job in a research setting it is important that you maintain your active licensure status. Even if you don’t plan to practice clinically, you can keep your license active as long as you maintain your national certification. For questions regarding licensure please contact the State Board of Medicine at the following location. State Board of Medicine |
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Department of Health HINI vaccine disctribution
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. Use the Legislative Center to find out who your state and federal legislators are and what important legislation is pending.
Two new Scope of Practice Bills changing Physician/PA ratio and implementing malpractice limit coverage: |
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THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No. 1251 Session of 2007
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE BILL No. 1252 Session of 2007
- ALERT: Reimbursement Alert
- CMS Policy on Shared Visits
- Long Term Care Facilities Regulations Update
- Department of Health Issues new Statement of Policy for issuing orders in hospital facilities
- Please review the following Guidelines for Amending Medical Staff Bylaws
- New tools to Promote Your Profession
- PSPA mailing labels available at reasonable price. Click here to order labels.
If you have questions, need to change your name, address or phone number, or need other assistance, please contact the PSPA at pspa@pspa.net or if you have feedback on the website, please contact the Webmaster at webmaster@pspa.net.