Physician Assistant Collaboration Requirements

The bill modifies the relationship between a physician assistant and a physician or podiatrist by removing the requirement that a physician assistant be supervised by a physician or podiatrist. Instead, a physician assistant must enter into a collaborative agreement with an employer, physician, or podiatrist.

The collaborative agreement must include:

• The physician assistant's name, license number, and primary location of practice;
• The signature of the physician assistant and the person with whom the physician assistant has entered into the collaborative agreement;
• A general description of the physician assistant's process for collaboration;
• A description of the performance evaluation process, which may be completed by the physician assistant's employer in accordance with a performance evaluation and review process established by the employer; and
• Any additional requirements specific to the physician assistant's practice required by the employer, physician, or podiatrist entering into the collaborative agreement, including additional levels of oversight, limitations on autonomous judgment, and the designation of a primary contact for collaboration.

For a physician assistant with fewer than 3,000 practice hours, the collaborative agreement must also:

• Require that collaboration during the first 160 practice hours be completed in person or through technology;
• Incorporate elements defining the expected nature of collaboration; and
• Require a performance evaluation and discussion of the performance evaluation with the physician assistant.

The bill also requires physician assistants who have been practicing for less than 3 years to satisfy certain financial responsibility requirements from which such physician assistants are exempt under current law.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)