Bill > LD1660

This bill aims to improve access to physician assistant care in Maine by making the following key changes: 1. It requires health insurance carriers to provide coverage for services performed by licensed physician assistants, on the same terms as services provided by other health care providers. This includes allowing enrollees to choose physician assistants as their primary care providers and prohibiting carriers from excluding physician assistants from their provider networks solely based on their profession. 2. It updates the laws governing the licensure and practice of physician assistants in Maine. The bill streamlines the licensure process, removes the requirement for physician assistants to obtain a separate certificate of registration, and allows physician assistants to delegate certain medical activities to their employees and support staff. 3. The bill establishes new scope of practice and collaborative/practice agreement requirements for physician assistants, allowing them to practice more independently based on their education, training and experience. Physician assistants with less than 4,000 hours of clinical practice must work under a collaborative agreement with a physician, while those with 4,000 or more hours can practice under a practice agreement with a physician. 4. The bill provides a one-time appropriation to the Department of Health and Human Services to make necessary technology changes to allow MaineCare (Medicaid) to directly reimburse physician assistants for their services. The overall goal of the bill is to expand access to affordable, high-quality health care services by enabling physician assistants to practice to the full extent of their professional competencies.

Health and Social Services

http://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=1660&snum=129