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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Sixth Legislature, Second Regular Session
medical assistants; scope of practice
Purpose
Expands the scope of practice of medical assistants to include communicating documented medical advice, test results and documented orders, as well as obtaining, processing and communicating medication or procedure prior authorization orders made by a doctor of medicine (MD), physician assistant (PA) or nurse practitioner (NP), outside the direct supervision of the practitioner.
Background
A medical assistant is an unlicensed person who has completed an education program approved by the Arizona Medical Board (Board), assists in a medical practice under the supervision of an MD, PA or NP, performs delegated procedures commensurate with the medical assistant's education and training, but does not diagnose, interpret, design or modify established treatment programs or perform any functions that would violate any statute relating to the practice of medicine.
Direct supervision means that a licensed physician, PA or NP is within the same room or office suite as the medical assistant in order to be available for consultation regarding the tasks the medical assistant performs (A.R.S. § 32-1401).
Current statute allows medical assistants to perform the following tasks
without direct supervision by an MD, PA or NP: 1) billing and coding; 2)
verifying insurance; 3) making patient appointments; 4) performing scheduling;
5) recording an MD's findings in patient charts;
6) transcribing materials in patient charts and records; 7) performing visual
acuity screening as a part of a routine physical; and 8) taking and recording
patient vital signs and medical history on medical records (A.R.S. § 32-1456).
The Arizona Medical Association submitted a Sunrise Application to the Legislature on November 1, 2023, to request an expansion of the scope of practice of medical assistants to allow the performance of certain administrative duties without direct supervision (Sunrise Application).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Authorizes medical assistants that are not under direct supervision of an MD, PA or NP to:
a) communicate documented medical advice, documented interpretation of test results and documented orders from an MD, PA or NP; and
b) obtain, process and communicate medication or procedure prior authorization, as documented and ordered by an MD, PA or NP.
2. Makes technical changes.
3. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
HHS 1/22/24 DP 10-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/6/24 55-0-2-0-3
Prepared by Senate Research
February 23, 2024
MM/DM/slp