- Star Grassroots Advocates
- This September, PAEA welcomed 14 students from across the United States for its sixth annual Student Health Policy Fellowship in-person meeting. During the three-day workshop, the students participated in educational sessions with policy experts in PA education and practice, developed their skills in effective advocacy, and met with their congressional representatives.
- Advancing PAEA’s Advocacy Agenda
- PAEA’s comment campaign on the calendar year 2020 Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule concluded in September with over 1,000 comments submitted in support of CMS’ proposal to allow all preceptors to verify all student-provided documentation for billing purposes. If finalized, this change will take effect on January 1, 2020.
- Health Care News in Washington
- In September, the House Energy and Commerce Health subcommittee held a hearing on proposed legislation to allow Medicare to directly negotiate with pharmaceutical manufacturers to lower the cost of Part D drugs.
- The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations subcommittee released its proposed FY20 funding bill in September. While the bill contains increased funding for Area Health Education Centers and funding for a Mental and Substance Use Disorder Workforce Training Demonstration program, it proposes to eliminate funding for the Health Careers Opportunity program. PAEA has strongly condemned this proposed elimination and is collaborating with other health professions education stakeholders to ensure HCOP funding is preserved in a final spending package.
- Opportunities for Action
- PAEA is continuing its campaign to build support for H.R. 1685 - the Physician Assistant Higher Education Modernization Act - and H.R. 1686 - the Physician Assistant Education Public Health Initiatives Act. If you have not already contacted your representative in support of these bills, please do so today.
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