In their op-ed published on May 15, House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano and Representative John J. Lawn Jr., House chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, discussed the urgent need for reform in Massachusetts’ health care system. They emphasized the importance of ensuring high-quality and affordable health care for all residents of the Commonwealth. This initiative was prompted, in part, by the recent crisis involving Steward Health Care, which declared bankruptcy, threatening the future of its hospital network.
In a related matter, physician associates (PAs) play an essential role in the health care system, with over 4,800 PAs working across various medical settings in Massachusetts. By collaborating with physicians and other health care professionals through a team practice model, PAs help provide comprehensive care to patients. A proposed bill aims to eliminate the requirement for PAs to have a supervising physician on file with the state, which is seen as an outdated barrier to practice and a cause of inefficiencies in the system.
If passed, this change would enable PAs to deliver optimal team-based care at the practice level, enhancing efficiency and improving patient access to care. As Joshua Merson, Legislative Chair of the Massachusetts Association of Physician Associates and a certified physician assistant with a doctor of medical science degree points out, allowing PAs to fulfill their mission of caring for patients effectively and efficiently is crucial in today’s climate where access to quality health care is at risk.
