For Immediate Release:
October 29, 2009
Brooke Braun
American Academy of Physician Assistants
703-836-2272 ext. 3502
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AAPA Applauds House Democrats and the Affordable Health Care for America Act
WASHINGTON – On behalf of the more than 75,000 clinically practicing physician assistants (PAs) practicing in the United States, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) congratulates Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives for unveiling today its health care reform bill, H.R. 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.
“We are particularly pleased that this bill removes current barriers to care for Medicare beneficiaries by allowing physician assistants to order skilled nursing facility care and to provide hospice care for Medicare patients,” said AAPA President Stephen Hanson. “We are also gratified that, among its details, the bill contains language specifically defining PAs as primary health care providers and makes it clear that PAs may lead the primary care team in the new chronic care management model.”
Additionally, the bill fully integrates PAs into new medical home and chronic care management models of care, including the following requirement for certification of community-based medical homes – “the organization provides medical home services under the supervision of and in close collaboration with the primary care physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant designated by the beneficiary as his or her community-based medical home provider.”
AAPA is committed to working with the 111th Congress to enact health care reform legislation that meets the needs of the American people and encompasses the Academy’s health care reform principles, including: access to quality, affordable, cost-effective health care for all Americans; the use of evidence-based medicine; physician-directed teams of health care providers; optimal utilization of primary care; emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention; medical liability reform that treats both patients and providers equitably and encourages health care professionals to apologize for an adverse outcome without increasing risk; and sustainable financing and payment mechanisms that take into account comparative-effectiveness information.
“We believe the Affordable Health Care for America Act goes a long way in meeting the Academy’s health care reform principles. While we recognize that the full House has yet to debate and vote on the bill, we applaud today’s action,” Hanson said.
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The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) is the only national professional association that represents PAs across all medical and surgical specialties in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the armed forces and federal services. Founded in 1968, AAPA works to increase the professional and personal growth of the entire PA workforce by providing comprehensive support and advocacy for physician assistants so that they may, in turn, provide patients with increased access to quality, cost-effective health care. Learn more about PAs at www.aapa.org.
