Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants

Menu
Close
  • Why PSPA
    • Overview
    • For Practicing PAs
    • For Students
    • For Employers
  • Membership
    • Reasons to Join PSPA
    • Join PSPA
    • Membership Levels
    • Benefits of Membership
      • Insurance Benefits
    • Member Directory
    • Renew Membership
    • Keystone Cash
    • Gift Memberships
  • Career Center
    • Overview
    • Job Seekers
      • Find a Job
      • Interviewing Tips
      • Pre-Employment Checklist
      • Anatomy of a Contract
      • New Graduate Info Sheet
      • Obtaining State License
      • Employment Exit Checklist
    • Employers/Recruiters
      • Employer Career Center
      • How to Find a PA
      • Benefits of Hiring a PA
      • Reimbursement for Services
      • Advertising and Fees
    • Resources
      • Salary and Demographics
      • Physician PA Team
      • Summary of PA Regulations
      • Amending Hospital Bylaws
      • Research Grant
  • Student Affairs
    • Overview
    • Potential Students
    • Active Students
    • Graduating Students
    • Pennsylvania PA Programs
    • Challenge Bowl
      • General Info/Rules
      • Challenge Bowl FAQs
    • Student Leader Philanthropic Endowment
    • Student Awards/Scholarships
      • Nathaniel Alston Student Achievement Scholarship Award
      • Thomas J. Lemley Award for Health Disparities Competition
    • Links
  • Advocacy
    • Overview
    • Governmental Affairs
      • Action Center
      • State Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine
      • Online Written Agreement Information
      • Regulatory Activity
      • Legislative Activity
      • Political Action Committee
      • About PSPA PAC
      • Tools
      • SBM Regulations**
      • SBOM Regulations**
      • Archives
    • Workplace
      • Leadership
      • PSPA Annual Awards
        • How it Works
        • Fellow Awards
        • PSPA Award Winners
    • Community
      • Health Disparities
      • Annual Charity
      • 10 Ways to Make a Difference
    • Committees
      • Committee Information
      • Committee Annual Reports
      • AAPA House Delegates
      • Awards Committee
      • Conference Planning Committee
      • Election Committee
      • Finance Committee
      • Governmental Affairs Committee
      • Health Disparities Committee
      • Historian
      • Leadership & Mentoring Committee
      • Membership Committee
      • Newsletter Committee
      • PSPA Liaison
      • Public Relations & Education Committee
      • Regional Affairs Committee
      • Reimbursement Committee
      • Social Media
      • Standing Rules & Policy Committee
      • Student & Faculty Affairs Committee
      • Technology Committee
      • Website Committee
    • Public Relations
      • Spread the Word
      • Addressing Specific Audiences
      • Concepts to Convey
      • Publications & Products
      • Resources
  • Events & CME
    • Calendar
    • Annual Conference
      • 2023 CME Conference Rates & Registration
      • General Information
      • Schedule
      • Thank you to our 2022 speakers!
      • Hotel Information
      • CME Workshops
      • Professional Sessions
      • Current Exhibitors
      • Special Events
      • Conference Faculty
      • Committee Interest Form
      • Exhibitor and Sponsor Information
      • Speaker Application
      • Future Conference Locations
      • Posting of Conference Lectures
    • CME Miniseries
    • CME Announcements
    • Deadlines
    • Regional Affairs
      • Map of Regions
      • Get Involved
      • Regional Representatives
      • Meeting Information
    • Courses
  • Resources
    • Professional Organizations / Liaisons
    • AAPA Links
    • Helpful Links
    • Reimbursement
      • Reimbursement
      • Medicaid
      • Workers Compensation
      • Private Payers
    • Form Library
    • Prescription Drug Card
    • Surveys
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Purpose
    • Officer Directory
    • Officer’s Responsibilities
      • President
      • President Elect
      • Immediate Past President
      • Treasurer
      • Secretary
      • Directors at Large
      • Student Directors at Large
  • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • PSPA News Brief
  • Contact
Member Login Join or Renew

Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants

Member Login Join or Renew
  • Home
  • About
    • Our Purpose
    • Officer Directory
    • Officer’s Responsibilities
      • President
      • President Elect
      • Immediate Past President
      • Treasurer
      • Secretary
      • Directors at Large
      • Student Directors at Large
  • News
    • Blog
    • Newsletters
    • PSPA News Brief
  • Contact
  • Why PSPA
    • Overview
    • For Practicing PAs
    • For Students
    • For Employers
  • Membership
    • Reasons to Join PSPA
    • Join PSPA
    • Membership Levels
    • Benefits of Membership
      • Insurance Benefits
    • Member Directory
    • Renew Membership
    • Keystone Cash
    • Gift Memberships
  • Career Center
    • Overview
    • Job Seekers
      • Find a Job
      • Interviewing Tips
      • Pre-Employment Checklist
      • Anatomy of a Contract
      • New Graduate Info Sheet
      • Obtaining State License
      • Employment Exit Checklist
    • Employers/Recruiters
      • Employer Career Center
      • How to Find a PA
      • Benefits of Hiring a PA
      • Reimbursement for Services
      • Advertising and Fees
    • Resources
      • Salary and Demographics
      • Physician PA Team
      • Summary of PA Regulations
      • Amending Hospital Bylaws
      • Research Grant
  • Student Affairs
    • Overview
    • Potential Students
    • Active Students
    • Graduating Students
    • Pennsylvania PA Programs
    • Challenge Bowl
      • General Info/Rules
      • Challenge Bowl FAQs
    • Student Leader Philanthropic Endowment
    • Student Awards/Scholarships
      • Nathaniel Alston Student Achievement Scholarship Award
      • Thomas J. Lemley Award for Health Disparities Competition
    • Links
  • Advocacy
    • Overview
    • Governmental Affairs
      • Action Center
      • State Boards of Medicine and Osteopathic Medicine
      • Online Written Agreement Information
      • Regulatory Activity
      • Legislative Activity
      • Political Action Committee
      • About PSPA PAC
      • Tools
      • SBM Regulations**
      • SBOM Regulations**
      • Archives
    • Workplace
      • Leadership
      • PSPA Annual Awards
        • How it Works
        • Fellow Awards
        • PSPA Award Winners
    • Community
      • Health Disparities
      • Annual Charity
      • 10 Ways to Make a Difference
    • Committees
      • Committee Information
      • Committee Annual Reports
      • AAPA House Delegates
      • Awards Committee
      • Conference Planning Committee
      • Election Committee
      • Finance Committee
      • Governmental Affairs Committee
      • Health Disparities Committee
      • Historian
      • Leadership & Mentoring Committee
      • Membership Committee
      • Newsletter Committee
      • PSPA Liaison
      • Public Relations & Education Committee
      • Regional Affairs Committee
      • Reimbursement Committee
      • Social Media
      • Standing Rules & Policy Committee
      • Student & Faculty Affairs Committee
      • Technology Committee
      • Website Committee
    • Public Relations
      • Spread the Word
      • Addressing Specific Audiences
      • Concepts to Convey
      • Publications & Products
      • Resources
  • Events & CME
    • Calendar
    • Annual Conference
      • 2023 CME Conference Rates & Registration
      • General Information
      • Schedule
      • Thank you to our 2022 speakers!
      • Hotel Information
      • CME Workshops
      • Professional Sessions
      • Current Exhibitors
      • Special Events
      • Conference Faculty
      • Committee Interest Form
      • Exhibitor and Sponsor Information
      • Speaker Application
      • Future Conference Locations
      • Posting of Conference Lectures
    • CME Miniseries
    • CME Announcements
    • Deadlines
    • Regional Affairs
      • Map of Regions
      • Get Involved
      • Regional Representatives
      • Meeting Information
    • Courses
  • Resources
    • Professional Organizations / Liaisons
    • AAPA Links
    • Helpful Links
    • Reimbursement
      • Reimbursement
      • Medicaid
      • Workers Compensation
      • Private Payers
    • Form Library
    • Prescription Drug Card
    • Surveys
News

House Bills Become Law

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Susan DeSantis

The PSPA is proud to announce that the House & Senate voted in favor of House Bills 1348 and 1351 giving supervising physicians the option to eliminate countersignature! The bills were signed by the Governor on November 26th and will become effective 60 days from the time of signature.  As you may remember, the PSPA negotiated a deal with the Pennsylvania Medical Society to amend countersignature as follows:

The supervising physician must countersign 100% of patient records completed by the PA within 10 days:

1) For the first 12 months post-graduation and until initial licensure

2) For the first 12 months in a new specialty

3) For the first 6 months in the same specialty but new practice

The supervising physician written agreement needs to contain a statement that indicates the number, (if any), frequency and criteria for chart selection for physician review after the 100% requirement timeframe has passed.

The bills also delineate the time frame for the Boards to review applications and work agreements. The language reads as follows:

“Upon submission of the application, board staff shall review the application only for completeness and shall issue a letter to the supervising physician providing the temporary authorization for the physician assistant to begin practice. If the application is not complete, including, but not limited to, required information or signatures not being provided or the fee not being submitted, a temporary authorization for the physician assistant to begin practicing shall not be issued. The temporary authorization, when issued, shall provide a period of 120 days during which the physician assistant may practice under the terms set forth in the written agreement as submitted to the board. Within 120 days the board shall notify the supervising physician of the final approval or disapproval of the application. If approved, a final approval of the written agreement shall be issued to the supervising physician. If there are discrepancies that have not been corrected within the 120- day period, the temporary authorization to practice shall expire.”

It will be extremely important that particular attention is paid to completing the application correctly so that the temporary authorization may be granted.  The process since its inception last spring is taking anywhere from 3-10 days on average as long as the applications have been completed correctly.  We suggest that you review the application yourself before it is submitted by the office manager, facility administrator or supervising physician.  The more eyes that see it, the less chance of the application being rejected for incompleteness.

The Boards are currently working on the implementation process.  Until that process is in place, countersignature of PA charts must continue as usual.  Stay tuned for further information.

Share on:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Blog
  • Newsletters
  • PSPA News Brief

Categories

  • Legislative Activity
  • News
  • Regulatory Activity
  • What's Happening

Archives

  • Contact Us
  • Help
  • Legal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Calendar
  • Form Library
  • Site Map

Social

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • Instagram

© 2023 Pennsylvania Society of Physician Assistants

Website by Imagebox