Senate Bill S525

                                 BILL NUMBER:  S525

 TITLE OF BILL :  An act to amend the education law, in relation to
approved programs and examinations for applicants for a license as a
physician assistant

 PURPOSE :  This bill amends the Education Law to allow graduates of
approved physician assistant programs located outside of the United
States to be eligible for licensing examinations.

 SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS :

Section 1. Amends section 6540 of the Education Law by amending the
definition of "approved program" to include programs based in other
countries that have been approved by the appropriate civil authorities
of the host country.

Section 2. Amends section 6541 of the Education to prohibit the denial
of access to licensure examinations based upon the location of a
prospective test taker's physician assistant program.

 JUSTIFICATION :  Physician assistants practice medicine under the
direction of physicians and surgeons and are formally trained to
examine patients, diagnose injuries and illnesses and provide
treatment. These professionals often provide primary care services
that are suitable to the alternative of general practice medical
              

doctor services. In New York, as with other professions, physician
assistants are licensed by SED.

Currently, SED contracts with a single organization that administers a
physician assistant licensure examination that excludes persons who
complete programs based outside of the United States. Students and
graduates of these programs are refused access to this exam even
though the program may be approved by the Department. This state of
affairs denies access to licensure as a physician assistant.

These circumstances also needlessly disrupt the supply of medical
professionals who will be critical to serving the State's health care
needs in the future. This impediment exists just as fewer medical
school students are choosing to become general practitioners and just
as many general practitioners are leaving the profession at an
alarming rate.

The Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) has reported that
over 25% of physicians are 60 years of age or older and projected that
the United States will experience a shortage of over 130,000 full-time
equivalent physicians by 2025. Furthermore, a study by the Healthcare
Association of New York State (HANYS), the findings of which were
released in its 2011 Physician Advocacy Survey, found that 109 state
hospitals reported a shortage of a total of 763 doctors.  This growing
shortage of medical professionals is occurring just as the estimated
78 million baby boomers begin to reach the age of 65.

In no way does this lessen standards with regard to the educational
requirements or the substance of the licensure exam. Also, the bill
does not alter any of the other physician assistant licensure
requirements, such as the requirement that an applicant possess a
bachelor's degree or its equivalent and that the applicant have good
moral character.

 LEGISLATIVE HISTORY : 2014 S.7582/A.10077

 FISCAL IMPLICATIONS : To be determined.

 EFFECTIVE DATE :  This act shall take effect one year after it shall
have become a law.