WSR 18-04-080 PERMANENT RULES DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH [Filed February 2, 2018, 6:49 p.m., effective March 5, 2018] Effective Date of Rule: Thirty-one days after filing. Purpose: WAC 246-827-0200 Medical assistant-certified—Training and examination, the department of health (department) adopts rule amendments to remove the current list of four department-recognized medical assistant (MA)-certified exams from rule. The list of currently recognized exams will be posted and updated on the department's MA webpage in lieu of keeping the list in rule. The adopted rule establishes that a department-approved MA-certification exam must be offered by a [an] MA program accredited by the National Commission on Certifying Agencies and must cover the clinical and administrative duties authorized under RCW 18.360.050(1). The effect of the adopted rule is to establish exam criteria to be used for approval rather than maintaining a list of department-recognized exams in rule. The four currently recognized exams will continue to meet MA-certified exam requirements. Citation of Rules Affected by this Order: Amending WAC 246-827-0200. Other Authority: RCW 18.360.040. Adopted under notice filed as WSR 17-20-035 on September 28, 2017. Changes Other than Editing from Proposed to Adopted Version: For clarity, two commas were added to the sentence, "Pass a medical assistant certification examination approved by the secretary within five years of submitting an initial application." Commas were added to clarify that an applicant must have passed a recognized exam within five years of applying for the credential and not that the secretary had to approve the exam within the last five years. The sentence now reads, "Pass a medical assistant certification examination, approved by the secretary, within five years of submitting an initial application." A final cost-benefit analysis is available by contacting Brett Cain, P.O. Box 47852, Olympia, WA 98501, phone 360-236-4766, fax 360-236-2901, TTY 360-833-6388 or 711, email brett.cain@doh.wa.gov, web site doh.wa.gov/medicalassistant. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Comply with Federal Statute: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Federal Rules or Standards: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Recently Enacted State Statutes: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted at the Request of a Nongovernmental Entity: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted on the Agency's own Initiative: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted in Order to Clarify, Streamline, or Reform Agency Procedures: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0. Number of Sections Adopted using Negotiated Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; Pilot Rule Making: New 0, Amended 0, Repealed 0; or Other Alternative Rule Making: New 0, Amended 1, Repealed 0. Date Adopted: February 2, 2018. John Wiesman, DrPH, MPH Secretary
AMENDATORY SECTION (Amending WSR 13-12-045, filed 5/31/13, effective 7/1/13)
WAC 246-827-0200 Medical assistant-certified—Training and examination.
((Certification requirements -)) An applicant((s)) for a medical assistant-certified credential must meet the following requirements:
(1) Successful completion of one of the following medical assistant training programs:
(a) Postsecondary school or college program accredited by the Accrediting Bureau of Health Education Schools (ABHES) or the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP);
(b) Postsecondary school or college accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education, which includes a minimum of seven hundred twenty clock hours of training in medical assisting skills, including a clinical externship of no less than one hundred sixty hours;
(c) A registered apprenticeship program administered by a department of the state of Washington unless the secretary determines that the apprenticeship program training or experience is not substantially equivalent to the standards of this state. The apprenticeship program shall ensure a participant who successfully completes the program is eligible to take one or more examinations identified in subsection (2) of this section; or
(d) The secretary may approve an applicant who submits documentation that he or she completed postsecondary education with a minimum of seven hundred twenty clock hours of training in medical assisting skills. The documentation must include proof of training in all of the duties identified in RCW 18.360.050(1) and a clinical externship of no less than one hundred sixty hours.
(2) Pass ((one of the following examinations within five years prior to submission of an initial application for this credential:
(a) Certified medical assistant examination through the American Association of Medical Assistants (AAMA);
(b) Registered medical assistant certification examination through the American Medical Technologists (AMT);
(c) Clinical medical assistant certification examination through the National Healthcareer Association (NHA); or
(d) National certified medical assistant examination through the National Center for Competency Testing (NCCT))) a medical assistant certification examination, approved by the secretary, within five years of submitting an initial application. A medical assistant certification examination approved by the secretary means an examination that:
(a) Is offered by a medical assistant program that is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA); and
(b) Covers the clinical and administrative duties under RCW 18.360.050(1).
|