LEGISLATIVE UPDATE 2002
What Your Legislative Consultants Are Doing For YOU

Many times FAPA leaders are asked the question, "Why should I be a member of FAPA?" One of the many reasons is the effect FAPA has had in Tallahassee in promoting legislation that benefits your ability to practice as a PA here in Florida. Check out the Academy Milestones on the website to get an idea of past years efforts. But look below to see just what FAPA has done just this year alone. Our Legislative Consultants, Pat and Juhan Mixon have done an outstanding job representing us in Tallahassee this year.

Here are a few of the issues FAPA lobbyists have been working on in Tallahassee during the 2002 Legislative Session:

VA Parking Permits: At the request of the Academy, bills were filed in the House and Senate to permit P.A.s to sign for handicapped parking in Veteran facilities. It has passed and is now on Governor Bush’s desk for signature.

Anesthesiology Assistants: The Academy worked with lobbyists for the Anesthesiology Association to make certain their Practice Act was totally separate from Physician Assistants. This has been done and the bill has passed the House and is being heard next in Senate Health, Aging and Long-Term Care Committee.

FDLE Physicals: Language in Statute had to be changed to permit P.A.s to conduct law enforcement physicals. The Academy got support for this change from the Police Standards and Training Board and the bill was passed and is now awaiting the Governors signature to allow P.A.s to do these physicals.

Long-Term Care: A provision of a Board of Medicine Rule should be approved in the next few months which will treat P.A.s like ARNP’s with regard to prescribing drugs for patients in long-term care facilities.

Athletic Physicals: Just as the FAPA did last year for interscholastic sports, our lobbyist, Pat Mixon, has amendments on a bill that provide that P.A.s can conduct intercollegiate sports physicals. A bill was proposed this year that would require EKG’s for all college athletes. In its original form the bill would have only allowed physicians to do college athletic exams. The language has been amended to allow P.A.s to continue to do these physicals.

Reimbursement: Meetings have been held with Insurance Commissioner Tom Gallagher and the Department of Management Services to look at the possibility of adding provisions to the State Health Plan with Blue Cross Blue Shield to provide for P.A. Reimbursement. This effort may help persuade BC/BS to issue provides numbers to P.A.s for reimbursement.

Elder Affairs: The Department of Elder Affairs is supporting a Rule proposed by the Academy to permit P.A.s to conduct the admittance physicals for patients in long-term care facilities.

Natural Disasters: Rep. Fasano’s Bioterrorism bill allows health care providers with inactive licenses to have their licenses reactivated in order to serve in times of a natural disaster. A provision was added at the FAPA’s request to provide that the County Medical Directors can act as the “supervising physician” under such circumstances.

Direct Supervision: The Academy is fighting to prevent passage of a law that would require a physician to see every first-time non-emergency patient. We are meeting with legislators and other Associations to kill this bad proposal.

FMG-P.A.s: Your lobbyists are closely monitoring legislative amendments which would give FMG-P.A.s a license without taking a national or state exam.

Prompt Pay: Insurance companies are more frequently waiting the maximum time to deny reimbursement for medical services often taking months. The FAPA has joined with the FMA and FOMA to press for passage of this important issue.

Surgical First Assist: A bill has been introduced into the Legislature which provides that insurance must cover physician’s surgical 1st assistants. It appeared that P.A.s might have been excluded. We are working with the sponsors to ensure that P.A.s are included.

Air Ambulance: At the request of a P.A. in Southwest Florida we have a provision in a bill being considered in the Legislature which will permit P.A.s to conduct interfacility transfers via air ambulances.

Exclusionary Formulary: This was passed by the 2001 Legislature and the implementing rule by the Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine has become effective commencing February 15, 2002.