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 There are huge changes looming on the horizon for PAs in Nebraska. This year, there is legislation being proposed to change some things that will directly impact PA practice. Please see the attached letter and do your part to ensure continued improvements for PAs practicing in Nebraska as well as our ability to give care to our patients.
January 19, 2009
Dear PA Colleague,
We have exciting news to report. The Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants (NAPA) is seeking changes to the Medical Practice Act, which will positively improve how PAs and physicians deliver care to their patients. Senator Gloor of Grand Island introduced Legislative Bill (LB) 250 in the Nebraska Legislature this week. If passed, this bill will change the following pertaining to PA practice:
- Modernize the legal requirements for physician supervision of physician assistants (PAs). While newly graduated PAs with less than 2 years of experience will continue to practice with a more focused level of supervision, the proposed changes will give physicians the flexibility they need to determine what level of supervision is appropriate according to the PA's knowledge and skills and the practice setting.
- Increase the number of PAs a physician may supervise from 2 to 4 at any given time.
- Allow PAs to sign death certificates and other forms that require a physician's signature
- Require PA's name on prescriptions, in order to comply with changes in federal prescribing laws.
- Eliminate the requirement for a licensed physician to seek additional approval from the Nebraska Board of Medicine and Surgery prior to supervising a physician assistant (PA).
The proposed changes reflect national trends in how PA practice is regulated. As you know, the Nebraska PA practice act has not been updated since 1985 and supervising physicians confirmed that the decades old restrictions to PA practice were onerous. The Nebraska Medical Association has also endorsed these changes.
We need every PA in Nebraska to contact their state Senator and ask that they support LB 250 when it comes to the floor for a vote. You can find your senator’s contact info by visiting the Nebraska Legislature’s homepage. It will be helpful in your phone or e-mail message to let them also know that you are a physician assistant who lives and practices in their district-make sure you specify your hometown. Numbers count, so it's very important that we have as many PAs as possible contact their state senators to ask for support of LB 250. You may also encourage your supervising physician to make a call, too.
We will keep you updated on the bills progress as it makes its way through the legislature, so stay tuned. If you have questions, please contact me. I can be contacted through the website's Committee Members page.
Thanks again for your support. We can't do this without your help!
Sincerely,
Bonnie Shearer, PA-C
Legislative Chair, NAPA
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