The American Academy of Physician Assistants is stepping up efforts to reduce burdensome licensing procedures and to widen scope-of-practice laws so that PAs can take on more of the tasks traditionally performed by physicians (and thus make more money). With more and more interest in restraining healthcare costs in a nation with the highest paid physicians, they have a good chance of making considerable progress in the next couple of years.
The AAPA’s advocacy team has offered advice for rewriting laws that they argue are out of date and out of touch with the realities of current healthcare needs.
For example, some states mandate that PAs obtain letters of recommendation and/or complete an interview before a medical board as part of gaining their licenses.
Further, in some states, only licensed physicians who aren’t physician assistants’ future employers or training directors can write reference letters.
Then there rules requiring PAs and supervising physicians to work within a certain proximity to one another — as well as limitations on specialty practice.