NPs and PAs can sign POLST forms beginning in 2016 A new law (Assembly Bill 637) recently signed by Gov. Jerry Brown will allow nurse practitioners (NP) and physician assistants (PA), under the direction of a physician and within their scope of practice, to sign Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms and make them actionable medical orders. The law goes into effect on January 1, 2016. The POLST form is a legally recognized document that outlines a plan of care reflecting patients’ wishes concerning medical treatment and interventions toward the end of their lives. The California Medical Association (CMA) co-sponsored ... September 9, 2015 General Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, End of Life Issues, POLST 0 0 Comment Read More »
Ask the Expert: Can my PA/NP see my patients when I'm on vacation? Summer generally means vacations for everyone, and physicians are no exception. But what happens to patients when their physicians are on vacation? There are options for physician offices to continue to provide care to their patients, but the question that seems to come up annually is whether the physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP) can provide services when the physician is out of the office and still bill as “incident to” services. The answer is no. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) states that to qualify as ... August 5, 2015 General Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants, Allied Health 0 0 Comment Read More »
Bills to expand nurse practitioners', optometrists' scope of practice stall in Assembly committee A bill that would have allowed nurse practitioners (NP) to practice independently and prescribe drugs without physician oversight is finished, at least for the year. Senate Bill 323 was voted down 8-4 on June 30 in the Assembly Business and Professions (B&P) Committee. The committee agreed to take it up again on July 14, but the bill was pulled from the hearing by its author, Senator Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa). The California Medical Association (CMA) and the California Academy of Family Physicians led the fight against SB 323. Senator Hernandez also pulled ... July 20, 2015 General Scope of Practice, Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Optometrists, Quality of Care 0 0 Comment Read More »
Dangerous bill putting patients in harm's way barely passes Assembly Committee Sacramento – After an initial vote held SB 491 (Hernandez) in the Assembly Business, Professions & Consumer Protection Committee last week, a reconsideration vote was granted and today the bill moved out of committee. SB 492 (Hernandez), a related bill dealing with expanded scope of practice for optometrists, was held in committee. On behalf of the California Medical Association (CMA) and the Coalition for Patient Access and Quality Care, CMA President Paul R. Phinney, M.D., issued the following statement: “While SB 492 was held in committee, patients should be deeply ... August 14, 2013 General Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Scope of Practice 0 0 Comment Read More »
Nurse practitioner scope-of-practice bill fails in committee A bill that would give California's nurse practitioners more autonomy failed on a vote of 6-3 Tuesday in an Assembly Business, Professions and Consumer Protection Committee. The bill (SB 491) would allow nurse practitioners to open practices without any oversight from a trained medical doctor and prescribe dangerous, addictive drugs without supervision. Although the bill failed to pass committee today, it was granted reconsideration and will be voted on again next week. While an important part of the health care delivery system, nurse practitioners simply do not have adequate training ... August 7, 2013 General Advocacy, Nurse Practitioners, Scope of Practice 0 0 Comment Read More »
