FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1253

                     Synopsis as Enacted

                          C 28 L 93

Brief Description:  Modifying provisions regarding physician assistants.

By House Committee on Health Care (originally sponsored by Representatives Dellwo, Morris, Dyer and Wood; by request of Department of Health).

House Committee on Health Care

Senate Committee on Health & Human Services

Background:  Physician assistants are licensed to practice medicine or osteopathic medicine under the supervision and control of physicians or osteopathic physicians. A physician assistant must obtain a separate license for every physician who employs or supervises the practice, and many physician assistants must obtain a number of licenses annually.

In addition, the boards of Medical Examiners and Osteopathic Medicine must approve the employment and supervision of each physician assistant associated with a physician or osteopathic physician. The joint application is submitted by both the physician assistant and the supervising physician, detailing the manner and extent to which the physician assistant would practice and be supervised.

The license of a physician assistant must be renewed annually by the secretary of the Department of Health.  There is no penalty fee authorized for a late renewal.

Statutes governing the practice of physician assistants and osteopathic physician assistants are dated and the language, though parallel, is not consistent.

Summary:  A physician assistant is issued one license to practice, and is no longer required to obtain multiple licenses for each association with a physician or physician group which supervises or employs the assistant.  However, the boards of Medical Examiner and Osteopathic Medicine still must approve the practice arrangement in a joint application from the physician assistant and the physician.

License renewal can be made on a periodic basis, not just annually, as determined by the secretary of the Department of Health.  The secretary is authorized to levy a penalty fee for late renewal.

A number of technical changes are made clarifying the responsibilities of applicants, the department and the boards, and making the language of the two acts consistent.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  97 0

Senate 46 0

Effective:  July 25, 1993