S.2124/A.7725 – A Physician Assistants as PCPs in Medicaid

Re: S.2124 (Rivera)/A.7725 (Paulin) — AN ACT to amend the social services law, in relation to allowing physician assistants to serve as primary care practitioners for purposes of Medicaid managed care plans.

This legislation, S.2124/A.7725, would allow physician assistants to be primary care practitioners for Medicaid managed care plans.  The New York Health Plan Association (HPA) appreciates the critical role that physician assistants play in providing primary care services and supports efforts to increase access to high quality primary care services to Medicaid managed care members. However, plan medical directors feel that physician collaboration remains an important part of how physician assistants practice, and have concerns regarding their independent practice, which this bill appears to authorize for the Medicaid managed care population.

Moreover, many community-based primary care practices already utilize physician assistants to increase their panel size, with appropriate physician oversight, making this legislation unnecessary.

Accordingly, HPA requests that you reject S.2124/A.7725.