Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Health Professions topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Authors defer HB 1143 after doctors raise concerns about renaming PAs 'physician associates'
Summary
A legislative effort to change the statutory title 'physician assistant' to 'physician associate' drew divided testimony; physician-association proponents said the change modernizes terminology, while physician groups warned of patient confusion. The author voluntarily deferred the bill for more discussion.
Representatives heard testimony on HB 1143, a bill to change the statutory title for physician assistants from 'physician assistant' to 'physician associate.' Proponents from the Louisiana Academy of PAs said the national profession adopted the change and that the statutory update would align Louisiana with a national naming effort without changing scope or supervision rules.
Physician representatives, including Louisiana Physicians for Patients, opposed the bill, warning that the title 'physician associate' is already used in practice names and could mislead patients into thinking the holder is a physician; Hunter Duke read a physician group statement saying the change risks public confusion and suggested a neutral alternative such as 'provider associate.' The author acknowledged the concerns and voluntarily deferred the bill for at least a week to continue stakeholder discussions and explore compromises.
The committee preserved the underlying statutory language and postponed action to allow time for negotiations between PA organizations and physician groups and for potential drafting adjustments to reduce perceived public-confusion risk.
