The American Academy of Physician Assistants heralded new legislation that would extend electronic health-record Medicaid incentive payments to all physician assistants who meet certain criteria in serving Medicaid patients.
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Reps. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.) this week introduced the Health IT Modernization for Underserved Communities Act (PDF), which aims to amend the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act to let physician assistants be eligible for Medicaid incentive payments for adopting and using certified electronic health-record systems, regardless of whether they practice at a rural health center or a federally qualified health center.
According to the AAPA, the HITECH Act now offers incentive payments to physicians and nurse practitioners who provide primary care to the requisite 30% threshold of Medicaid patients but limits EHR incentive payments for Medicaid services provided by physician assistants in rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers overseen by PAs.
"The ultimate beneficiaries of electronic medical records are patients," AAPA President Robert Wooten said in a news release, "and this bill extends the promise of improved medical care to the Medicaid patients served by a physician assistant."
The legislation has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
According to the AAPA, the HITECH Act now offers incentive payments to physicians and nurse practitioners who provide primary care to the requisite 30% threshold of Medicaid patients but limits EHR incentive payments for Medicaid services provided by physician assistants in rural health clinics and federally qualified health centers overseen by PAs.
"The ultimate beneficiaries of electronic medical records are patients," AAPA President Robert Wooten said in a news release, "and this bill extends the promise of improved medical care to the Medicaid patients served by a physician assistant."
The legislation has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
