PREPROPOSAL STATEMENT OF INQUIRY
Subject of Possible Rule Making: TITLE 246 WAC, creating a new chapter to establish the medical assistant profession.
Statutes Authorizing the Agency to Adopt Rules on this Subject: ESSB 6237 (chapter 153, Laws of 2012).
Reasons Why Rules on this Subject may be Needed and What They Might Accomplish: ESSB 6237 (2012) creates the new medical assistant profession and phases out the health care assistant profession. Rules are needed to clarify the transfer of current health care assistants to medical assistants and specify minimum qualifications for a medical assistant-certified, medical assistant-hemodialysis technician and medical assistant-phlebotomist. Rules will define approved training programs and exams along with minimum requirements necessary for a health care practitioner, clinic, or group practice to endorse registered medical assistants. Rules are also needed to further define scope of practice and types of drugs that may be administered by a medical assistant and set fees.
Other Federal and State Agencies that Regulate this Subject and the Process Coordinating the Rule with These Agencies: None.
Process for Developing New Rule: Collaborative rule making.
Interested parties can participate in the decision to adopt the new rule and formulation of the proposed rule before publication by contacting Erin Obenland, Program Manager, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98504-7852, phone (360) 236-4945, fax (360) 236-2901, e-mail erin.obenland@doh.wa.gov. Interested persons can participate in the rule process through meetings and by submitting written comments. Interested parties are encouraged to join our listserv which can be accessed at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=MEDICAL_ASSISTANT or at http://listserv.wa.gov/cgi-bin/wa?A0=HEALTH-CARE-ASSISTANTS.
July 3, 2012
Gregg L. Grunenfelder
Deputy Secretary
for Mary C. Selecky
Secretary