WEST virginia Legislature
2017 regular session
Introduced
Senate Bill 347
By Senators Takubo, Stollings and Maroney
[Introduced February 17,
2017; Referred
to the Committee on Health and Human Resources]
A BILL to repeal §30-3E-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended; to amend and reenact §30-3-5 of said code; to amend and reenact §30-3E-1, §30-3E-2, §30-3E-3, §30-3E-4, §30-3E-6, §30-3E-7, §30-3E-9, §30-3E-10, §30-3E-11, §30-3E-12, §30-3E-15, §30-3E-16 and §30-3E-17 of said code; and to amend said code by adding thereto a new section, designated §30-3E-12a, all relating to modernization of the Physician Assistant Practice Act; modifying the Board of Medicine to add an additional physician assistant to the board; substituting collaborating physician for supervising physician; defining terms; allowing a physician assistant to prescribe Schedule II and Schedule III drugs with specified limitations; eliminating the requirement that physician assistants be required to take a recertification exam after passing the initial exam; allowing for reimbursement rates from insurance plans and public payers at the same rate physicians and advance practice registered nurses in specified circumstances; adding requirements to the practice agreement; granting physician assistants signatory authority on certain forms; and making conforming amendments.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:
That §30-3E-8 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be repealed; that §30-3-5 of said code be amended and reenacted; that §30-3E-1, §30-3E-2, §30-3E-3, §30-3E-4, §30-3E-6, §30-3E-7, §30-3E-9, §30-3E-10, §30-3E-11, §30-3E-12, §30-3E-15, §30-3E-16 and §30-3E-17 of said code be amended and reenacted; and that said code be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §30-3E-12a, all to read as follows:
ARTICLE 3. WEST VIRGINIA MEDICAL PRACTICE ACT.
§30-3-5. West Virginia Board of Medicine powers and duties continued; appointment and terms of members; vacancies; removal.
The West Virginia Board of Medicine has assumed, carried on and succeeded to all the duties, rights, powers, obligations and liabilities heretofore belonging to or exercised by the Medical Licensing Board of West Virginia. All the rules, orders, rulings, licenses, certificates, permits and other acts and undertakings of the medical licensing board of West Virginia as heretofore constituted have continued as those of the West Virginia Board of Medicine until they expired or were amended, altered or revoked. The board remains the sole authority for the issuance of licenses to practice medicine and surgery and to practice podiatry and to practice as physician assistants in this state under the supervision of physicians licensed under this article. The board shall continue to be a regulatory and disciplinary body for the practice of medicine and surgery and the practice of podiatry and for physician assistants in this state.
The board shall consist of fifteen sixteen
members. One member shall be the state health officer ex officio, with the
right to vote as a member of the board. The other fourteen members shall be
appointed by the Governor, with the advice and consent of the Senate. Eight of
the members shall be appointed from among individuals holding the degree of
doctor of medicine and two shall hold the degree of doctor of podiatric
medicine. One member shall be an individual licensed by the board as a
physician assistant Two members shall be licensed by the board as
physician assistants. Each of these members must be duly licensed to
practice his or her profession in this state on the date of appointment and
must have been licensed and actively practicing that profession for at least
five years immediately preceding the date of appointment. Three lay members
shall be appointed to represent health care consumers. Neither the lay members
nor any person of the lay members' immediate families shall be a provider of or
be employed by a provider of health care services. The state health officer's
term shall continue for the period that he or she holds office as state health
officer. Each other member of the board shall be appointed to serve a term of
five years: Provided, That the members of the board of Medicine holding
appointments on the effective date of this section shall continue to serve as
members of the board of Medicine until the expiration of their term unless
sooner removed. Each term shall begin on October 1 of the applicable year, and
a member may not be appointed to more than two consecutive full terms on the
board.
A person is not eligible for membership on the board who is a member of any political party executive committee or, with the exception of the state health officer, who holds any public office or public employment under the federal government or under the government of this state or any political subdivision thereof.
In making appointments to the board, the Governor shall, so far as practicable, select the members from different geographical sections of the state. When a vacancy on the board occurs and less than one year remains in the unexpired term, the appointee shall be eligible to serve the remainder of the unexpired term and two consecutive full terms on the board.
No member may be removed from office by the Governor except for official misconduct, incompetence, neglect of duty or gross immorality: Provided, That the expiration, surrender or revocation of the professional license by the board of a member of the board shall cause the membership to immediately and automatically terminate.
ARTICLE 3E. PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS PRACTICE ACT.
§30-3E-1. Definitions.
As used in this article:
(1) "Advance duties" means medical acts that require additional training beyond the basic education program training required for licensure as a physician assistant.
(2) "Alternate supervising collaborating
physician" means one or more physicians licensed in this state and designated
by the supervising collaborating physician to provide supervision
of collaboration with a physician assistant in accordance with an
authorized practice agreement.
(3) "Approved program" means an educational program for physician assistants approved and accredited by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant or its successor. Prior to 2001, approval and accreditation would have been by either the Committee on Allied Health Education and Accreditation or the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant.
(4) "Boards" means the West Virginia Board of Medicine and the West Virginia Board of Osteopathic Medicine.
(5) "Chronic condition" means a condition which lasts three months or more, generally cannot be prevented by vaccines, can be controlled but not cured by medication and does not generally disappear. These conditions include, but are not limited to, arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, epilepsy and seizures and obesity.
(6) “Collaborating physician” means a doctor of medicine, osteopathy or podiatry fully licensed, by the appropriate board in this state, without restriction or limitation, who collaborates with physician assistants.
(7) “Collaboration” means overseeing the activities of, and accepting responsibility for, the medical services rendered by a physician assistant. Constant physical presence of the collaborating physician is not required as long as the collaborating physician and physician assistant are, or can be, easily in contact with one another by telecommunication. Collaboration does not require the personal presence of the collaborating physician at the place or places where services are rendered if the physician assistant's normal place of employment is the same premises as the collaborating physician.
(6) (8)
"Endorsement" means a summer camp or volunteer endorsement authorized
under this article.
(7) (9)
"Health care facility" means any licensed hospital, nursing home,
extended care facility, state health or mental institution, clinic or
physician's office.
(8) (10)
"Hospital" means a facility licensed pursuant to article five-b,
chapter sixteen of this code, and any acute-care facility operated by the state
government that primarily provides inpatient diagnostic, treatment or
rehabilitative services to injured, disabled or sick persons under the
supervision of physicians and includes psychiatric hospitals.
(9) (11)
"License" means a license issued by either of the boards pursuant to
the provisions of this article.
(10) (12)
"Licensee" means a person licensed pursuant to the provisions of this
article.
(11) (13)
"Physician" means a doctor of allopathic or osteopathic medicine who
is fully licensed pursuant to the provisions of either article three or article
fourteen of this chapter to practice medicine and surgery in this state.
(12) (14)
"Physician assistant" means a person who meets the qualifications set
forth in this article and is licensed pursuant to this article to practice medicine
under supervision collaboration.
(13) (15)
"Practice Agreement" means a document that is executed between a supervising
collaborating physician and a physician assistant pursuant to the
provisions of this article, and is filed with and approved by the appropriate
licensing board.
(14) "Supervising physician" means a doctor
of medicine, osteopathy or podiatry fully licensed, by the appropriate board in
this state, without restriction or limitation, who supervises physician
assistants.
(15) "Supervision" means overseeing the
activities of, and accepting responsibility for, the medical services rendered
by a physician assistant. Constant physical presence of the supervising
physician is not required as long as the supervising physician and physician
assistant are, or can be, easily in contact with one another by
telecommunication. Supervision does not require the personal presence of the
supervising physician at the place or places where services are rendered if the
physician assistant's normal place of employment is the same premises as the
supervising physician.
§30-3E-2. Powers and duties of the boards.
In addition to the powers and duties set forth in this code for the boards, the boards shall:
(1) Establish the requirements for licenses and temporary licenses pursuant to this article;
(2) Establish the procedures for submitting, approving and rejecting applications for licenses and temporary licenses;
(3) Propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this article;
(4) Compile and publish an annual report that includes
a list of currently licensed physician assistants, their supervising collaborating
physicians and their locations in the state; and
(5) Take all other actions necessary and proper to effectuate the purposes of this article.
§30-3E-3. Rulemaking.
(a) The boards shall propose rules for legislative approval in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to implement the provisions of this article, including:
(1) The extent to which physician assistants may practice in this state;
(2) The extent to which physician assistants may pronounce death;
(3) Requirements for licenses and temporary licenses;
(4) Requirements for practice agreements;
(5) Requirements for continuing education;
(6) Conduct of a licensee for which discipline may be imposed;
(7) The eligibility and extent to which a physician
assistant may prescribe at the direction of his or her supervising collaborating
physician, including the following:
(A) A list of drugs and pharmacologic categories, or
both, the prescription of which may not be delegated to a physician assistant,
including all drugs listed in Schedules I and II Schedule I of
the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, antineoplastic and chemotherapeutic
agents, or both, used in the active treatment of current cancer,
radiopharmaceuticals, general anesthetics, radiographic contrast materials and
any other limitation or exclusions of specific drugs or categories of drugs as
determined by the boards;
(B) Authority to prescribe a monthly supply with no refill of any Schedule II or Schedule III medication for which a collaborating physician has written a prescription and which the physician assistant has a face-to-face consultation with the patient at least once every three months. The authority to prescribe a refill of Schedule II or Schedule III drugs is limited to two consecutive months.
(B) (C)
Authority to include, in a practice agreement, the delegation of prescribing
authority for up to a 72-hour supply of drugs listed under Schedule III of the
Uniform Controlled Substances Act so long as the prescription is nonrefillable
and an annual supply of any drug, with the exception of controlled substances,
which is prescribed for the treatment of a chronic condition, other than
chronic pain management, with the chronic condition being treated identified on
the prescription; and
(C) (D)
A description of the education and training requirements for a physician
assistant to be eligible to receive delegated prescriptive writing authority as
part of a practice agreement;
(8) The authority a supervising collaborating
physician may delegate for prescribing, dispensing and administering of
controlled substances, prescription drugs or medical devices if the practice
agreement includes:
(A) A notice of intent to delegate prescribing of controlled substances, prescription drugs or medical devices;
(B) An attestation that all prescribing activities of the physician assistant shall comply with applicable federal and state law governing the practice of physician assistants;
(C) An attestation that all medical charts or records shall contain a notation of any prescriptions written by a physician assistant;
(D) An attestation that all prescriptions shall
include the physician assistant's name and the supervising collaborating
physician's name, business address and business telephone number legibly
written or printed; and
(E) An attestation that the physician assistant has successfully completed each of the requirements established by the appropriate board to be eligible to prescribe pursuant to a practice agreement accompanied by the production of any required documentation establishing eligibility;
(9) A fee schedule; and
(10) Any other rules necessary to effectuate the provisions of this article.
(b) The boards may propose emergency rules pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code to ensure conformity with this article.
§30-3E-4. License to practice as a physician assistant.
(a) A person seeking licensure as a physician
assistant shall apply to the Board of Medicine or to the Board of Osteopathic
Medicine. The appropriate board shall issue a license to practice as a
physician assistant under the supervision with the collaboration
of that board's licensed physicians or podiatrists.
(b) A license may be granted to a person who:
(1) Files a complete application;
(2) Pays the applicable fees;
(3) Demonstrates to the board's satisfaction that he or she:
(A) Obtained a baccalaureate or master's degree from an accredited program of instruction for physician assistants;
(B) Prior to July 1, 1994, graduated from an approved program of instruction in primary health care or surgery; or
(C) Prior to July 1, 1983, was certified by the Board of Medicine as a physician assistant then classified as "Type B";
(4) Has passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(5) Has a current certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(6) Is mentally and physically able to engage safely in practice as a physician assistant;
(7) Has not had a physician assistant license, certification or registration in any jurisdiction suspended or revoked;
(8) Is not currently subject to any limitation, restriction, suspension, revocation or discipline concerning a physician assistant license, certification or registration in any jurisdiction: Provided, That if a board is made aware of any problems with a physician assistant license, certification or registration and agrees to issue a license, certification or registration notwithstanding the provisions of this subdivision or subdivision (7) of this subsection;
(9) Is of good moral character; and
(10) Has fulfilled any other requirement specified by the appropriate board.
(c) A board may deny an application for a physician assistant license to any applicant determined to be unqualified by the board.
§30-3E-6. License renewal requirements.
(a) A licensee shall renew biennially, on a schedule established by the appropriate licensing board, by submitting:
(1) A complete renewal application;
(2) The renewal fee;
(3) Proof that he or she is currently certified and
has been continuously certified during the preceding licensure period by
the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants; and
(4) An attestation that all continuing education requirements for the reporting period have been met.
(b) If a licensee fails to timely renew his or her license, then the license automatically expires.
§30-3E-7. Expired license requirements.
(a) If a license automatically expires and reinstatement is sought within one year of the automatic expiration, then an applicant shall submit:
(1) A complete reinstatement application;
(2) The applicable fees;
(3) Proof that he or she is currently certified and
has been continuously certified during the preceding licensure period and expiration
period by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
and
(4) An attestation that all continuing education requirements have been met.
(b) If a license automatically expires and more than one year has passed since the automatic expiration, then an applicant shall apply for a new license.
§30-3E-9. Practice requirements.
(a) A physician assistant may not practice independent
of a supervising collaborating physician.
(b) Before a licensed physician assistant may practice
and before a supervising collaborating physician may delegate
medical acts to a physician assistant, the supervising collaborating
physician and the physician assistant shall:
(1) File a practice agreement with the appropriate
licensing board, including any designated alternate supervising collaborating
physicians;
(2) Pay the applicable fees; and
(3) Receive written authorization from the appropriate licensing board to commence practicing as a physician assistant pursuant to the practice agreement.
(c) A physician applying to supervise a physician assistant shall affirm that:
(1) The medical services set forth in the practice
agreement are consistent with the skills and training of the supervising
collaborating physician and the physician assistant; and
(2) The activities delegated to a physician assistant are consistent with sound medical practice and will protect the health and safety of the patient.
(d) A supervising collaborating
physician may enter into practice agreements with up to five full-time
physician assistants at any one time. A physician is prohibited from being a supervising
collaborating or alternate supervising collaborating
physician to more than five physician assistants at any one time. However, a
physician practicing medicine in an emergency department of a hospital or a
physician who supervises collaborates with a physician assistant
who is employed by or on behalf of a hospital may provide supervision collaboration
for up to five physician assistants per shift if the physician has an
authorized practice agreement in place with the supervised physician
assistant or the physician has been properly authorized as an alternate supervising
collaborating physician for each physician assistant.
(e) A physician assistant:
(1) Licensed pursuant to the provisions of this article;
(2) Has a collaborative agreement as required by this article; and
(3) Who is treating patients pursuant to the collaborative agreement but independent of a physician;
Shall be entitled to one hundred percent of the allowable reimbursement rate given to a physician or advanced practice registered nurse from all private insurance plans regulated pursuant to the provisions of chapter thirty-three of this code and all public insurance plans, including the Public Employees Insurance Agency and the state Medicaid program.
§30-3E-10. Practice agreement requirements.
(a) A practice agreement shall include:
(1) A description of the qualifications of the supervising
collaborating physician, the alternate supervising collaborating
physicians, if applicable, and the physician assistant;
(2) A description of the settings in which the supervising
collaborating physician assistant will practice;
(3) A description of the continuous physician supervision
collaborating mechanisms that are reasonable and appropriate for the
practice setting, and the experience and training of the physician assistant;
(4) A description of the medical acts that are to be delegated;
(5) An attestation by the supervising collaborating
physician that the medical acts to be delegated are:
(A) Within the supervising collaborating
physician's scope of practice; and
(B) Appropriate to the physician assistant's education, training and level of competence;
(6) A description of the medical care the physician
assistant will provide in an emergency, including a definition of an emergency;
and
(7) A description of the limitation of the ability of the physician assistant to prescribe Schedule II and Schedule III prescriptions as set forth in section three, subsection (a)(7)(B) of this article; and
(7) (8)
Any other information required by the boards.
(b) A licensing board may:
(1) Decline to authorize a physician assistant to commence practicing pursuant to a practice agreement, if the board determines that:
(A) The practice agreement is inadequate; or
(B) The physician assistant is unable to perform the proposed delegated duties safely; or
(2) Request additional information from the supervising
collaborating physician and/or the physician assistant to evaluate the
delegation of duties and advanced duties.
(c) A licensing board may authorize a practice agreement that includes advanced duties which are to be performed in a hospital or ambulatory surgical facility, if the practice agreement has a certification that:
(1) A physician, with credentials that have been
reviewed by the hospital or ambulatory surgical facility as a condition of
employment as an independent contractor or as a member of the medical staff, supervises
collaborates with the physician assistant;
(2) The physician assistant has credentials that have been reviewed by the hospital or ambulatory surgical facility as a condition of employment as an independent contractor or as a member of the medical staff; and
(3) Each advanced duty to be delegated to the physician assistant is reviewed and approved within a process approved by the governing body of the health care facility or ambulatory surgical facility before the physician assistant performs the advanced duties.
(d) If a licensing board declines to authorize a
practice agreement or any proposed delegated act incorporated therein, the
board shall provide the supervising collaborating physician and
the physician assistant with written notice. A physician assistant who receives
notice that the board has not authorized a practice agreement or a delegated
act shall not practice under the agreement or perform the delegated act.
(e) If a practice agreement is terminated, then a physician assistant shall notify the appropriate licensing board in writing within ten days of the termination. Failure to provide timely notice of the termination constitutes unprofessional conduct and disciplinary proceedings may be instituted by the appropriate licensing board.
§30-3E-11. Supervision
of Collaboration with physician assistants.
(a) A licensed physician or podiatrist may supervise a physician assistant:
(1) As a supervising collaborating
physician in accordance with an authorized practice agreement; or
(2) As an alternate supervising collaborating
physician who:
(A) Supervises Collaborates in
accordance with an authorized practice agreement;
(B) Has been designated an alternate supervising
collaborating physician in the authorized practice agreement; and
(C) Only delegates those medical acts that have been
authorized by the practice agreement and are within the scope of practice of
both the primary supervising collaborating physician and the
alternate supervising collaborating physician.
(b) A supervising collaborating
physician is responsible at all times for the physician assistant under his
or her supervision with whom he or she is collaborating, including:
(1) The legal responsibility of the physician assistant;
(2) Observing, directing and evaluating the physician assistant's work records and practices; and
(3) Supervising Collaborating with the
physician assistant in the care and treatment of a patient in a health care
facility.
(c) A health care facility is only legally responsible
for the actions or omissions of a physician assistant when the physician
assistant is employed by or on behalf of the facility. Credentialed medical
facility staff and attending physicians of a hospital who provide direction to
or utilize physician assistants employed by or on behalf of the hospital are
considered alternate supervising collaborating physicians.
§30-3E-12. Scope of practice.
(a) A license issued to a physician assistant by the appropriate state licensing board shall authorize the physician assistant to perform medical acts:
(1) Delegated to the physician assistant as part of an authorized practice agreement;
(2) Appropriate to the education, training and experience of the physician assistant;
(3) Customary to the practice of the supervising
collaborating physician; and
(4) Consistent with the laws of this state and rules of the boards.
(b) This article does not authorize a physician assistant to perform any specific function or duty delegated by this code to those persons licensed as chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists or pharmacists, or certified as nurse anesthetists.
§30-3E-12a. Physician Assistant Signatory Authority.
(a) A physician assistant may provide an authorized signature, certification, stamp, verification, affidavit or endorsement on documents within the scope of their practice, including, but not limited to, the following documents:
(1) Death certificates: Provided, That the physician assistant has received training from the board on the completion of death certificates;
(2) “Physician orders for life sustaining treatment,” “physician orders for scope of treatment” and “do not resuscitate” forms;
(3) Handicap hunting certificates; and
(4) Utility company forms requiring maintenance of utilities regardless of ability to pay.
(b) A physician assistant may not sign a certificate of merit for a medical malpractice claim against a physician.
§30-3E-15. Summer camp or volunteer endorsement -- West Virginia licensee.
(a) The appropriate licensing board may grant a summer camp or volunteer endorsement to provide services at a children's summer camp or volunteer services for a public or community event to a physician assistant who:
(1) Is currently licensed by the appropriate licensing board;
(2) Has no current discipline, limitations or restrictions on his or her license;
(3) Has submitted a timely application; and
(4) Attests that:
(A) The organizers of the summer camp and public or
community event have arranged for a supervising collaborating
physician to be available as needed to the physician assistant;
(B) The physician assistant shall limit his or her scope of practice to medical acts which are within his or her education, training and experience; and
(C) The physician assistant will not prescribe any controlled substances or legend drugs as part of his or her practice at the summer camp or public or community event.
(b) A physician assistant may only receive one summer camp or volunteer endorsement annually. The endorsement is active for one specifically designated period annually, which period cannot exceed three weeks.
(c) A fee cannot be assessed for the endorsement if the physician assistant is volunteering his or her services without compensation or remuneration.
§30-3E-16. Summer camp or volunteer endorsement - Out-of-state licensee.
(a) The appropriate licensing board may grant a summer camp or volunteer endorsement to provide services at a children's summer camp or volunteer services for a public or community event to a physician assistant licensed from another jurisdiction who:
(1) Is currently licensed in another jurisdiction and has a current certification from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(2) Has no current discipline, limitations or restrictions on his or her license;
(3) Has passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants;
(4) Has submitted a timely application;
(5) Has paid the applicable fees; and
(6) Attests that:
(A) The organizers of the summer camp and public or
community event have arranged for a supervising collaborating
physician to be available as needed to the physician assistant;
(B) The physician assistant shall limit his or her scope of practice to medical acts which are within his or her education, training and experience; and
(C) The physician assistant will not prescribe any controlled substances or legend drugs as part of his or her practice at the summer camp or public or community event; and
(7) Has fulfilled any other requirements specified by the appropriate board.
(b) A physician assistant may only receive one summer camp or volunteer endorsement annually. The endorsement is active for one specifically designated period annually, which period cannot exceed three weeks.
§30-3E-17. Complaint process.
(a) All hearings and procedures related to denial of a license, and all complaints, investigations, hearings and procedures a physician assistant licenses and the discipline accorded thereto, shall be in accordance with the processes and procedures set forth in articles three and/or fourteen of this chapter, depending on which board licenses the physician assistant.
(b) The boards may impose the same discipline, restrictions and/or limitations upon the license of a physician assistant as they are authorized to impose upon physicians and/or podiatrists.
(c) The boards shall direct to the appropriate
licensing board a complaint against a physician assistant, a supervising
collaborating physician and/or an alternate supervising collaborating
physician.
(d) In the event that independent complaint processes
are warranted by the boards with respect to the professional conduct of a
physician assistant or a supervising collaborating and/or
alternate supervising collaborating physician, the boards are
authorized to work cooperatively and to disclose to one another information
which may assist the recipient appropriate licensing board in its disciplinary
process. The determination of what information, if any, to disclose shall be at
the discretion of the disclosing board.
(e) A physician assistant licensed under this article may not be disciplined for providing expedited partner therapy in accordance with article four-f, chapter sixteen of this code.
NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to modernize the practice act for physician assistants. It substitutes “collaborating” for “supervising” and makes a number of conforming amendments. It alters the make-up of the Board of Medicine to include a second physician assistant. It allows physician assistants to prescribe Schedule II and Schedule III drugs in certain circumstances. It eliminates the need for a recertification exam once the physician assistant is board certified. It allows physician assistants to be reimbursed at the same rate as physicians and advance practice registered nurses. It grants signatory authority on specific documents.
Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.