SB 471
Authorizing physician assistants to own business
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Sign in to take action- Introduced
- Passed Senate
- Passed House of Delegates
- To Governor
- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill allows physician assistants (PAs) in West Virginia to own and operate their own businesses. It specifically addresses concerns about potential conflicts of interest by prohibiting licenses or authorizations from being denied for referrals where a PA has a financial stake in the referral. The bill also extends protections to medical corporations that include PA shareholders and designates the profession of PA as a professional service for the Uniform Limited Liability Company Act, allowing them to form professional limited liability companies.
Key provisions
- Authorizes PAs to own and operate their own businesses.
- Prohibits denial of licenses or authorizations based on referrals where a PA has a proprietary interest.
- Allows medical corporations with PA shareholders to exist.
- Designates the profession of PA as a ‘professional service’ for Uniform Limited Liability Company Act purposes.
- Establishes requirements for physician assistant-owned professional limited liability companies.
- Requires reporting of certain disciplinary actions and professional liability cases to the Board of Medicine.
- Provides a process for the board to deny applications for licenses based on certain professional misconduct.
- Outlines procedures for investigating and addressing complaints against physicians and podiatrists.
Who is affected
- Physician Assistants
- Medical Corporations
- The West Virginia Board of Medicine
- Healthcare Providers
- Patients
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