05 LC 33
0656
House
Bill 350
By:
Representatives Dodson of the
75th,
Barnes of the
78th,
and Porter of the
143rd
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 4 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to
physiciańs
assistants, so as to provide that a
physiciańs
assistant can provide services to disadvantaged patients at no cost under a
temporary practice agreement; to provide for related matters; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
4 of Chapter 34 of Title 43 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to
physiciańs
assistants, is amended by adding a new subsection to the end of Code Section
43-34-103, relating to applications for assistants, to read as
follows:
"(h)
A physician and a
physiciańs
assistant may enter into a temporary practice agreement exempt from any filing
fees with the board by which agreement the physician supervises the services
provided by the
physiciańs
assistant to patients at a specific facility or program operated by any
organization exempt from federal taxes pursuant to Section 501(c)(3) of the
federal Internal Revenue Code, provided that:
(1)
Such services are provided primarily to financially disadvantaged
patients;
(2)
Services are free or at a charge to the patient based solely on the
patient́s
ability to pay and provided, further, that such charges do not exceed the actual
cost to the facility or program;
(3)
The supervising physician and the
physiciańs
assistant voluntarily and gratuitously donate their services;
(4)
A copy of the temporary practice agreement, signed by both the supervising
physician and the
physiciańs
assistant, is on file at the facility or program and is sent to the
board;
(5)
The temporary practice agreement is for a specified period of time, limits the
services of the
physiciańs
assistant to those services within the scope of practice of the supervising
physician, and is signed by both the supervising physician and
physiciańs
assistant prior to the
physiciańs
assistant providing patient services; and
(6)
The facility or program has notified the board of its intent to provide patient
services and utilize licensed physicians and
physiciańs
assistants under the conditions set out in this
subsection."
SECTION
2.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.