Dear Constituent Organization Leader, Senator Baucus has released his long-awaited bill, America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009.  It is not-yet fully complete, as the final budget scores are pending from the Congressional Budget Office.  The bill treats physicians, PAs, and NPs very similarly in the new patient models of care, including funding for “physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant-led home-based primary care programs with demonstrated expertise in serving high-cost beneficiaries with multiple chronic illnesses and functional disabilities.” The bill recognizes PAs in incentives for chronic care management bonuses in Medicare Advantage; fully integrates PAs in new patient care models; and makes PAs eligible for primary care provider bonuses. Additionally, the bill amends the Medicare statute to allow PAs to order skilled nursing facility care and to provide hospice care for Medicare beneficiaries. The bill is scheduled to be marked-up next week by the Senate Finance Committee. Assuming that it passes out of Committee, the bill, as on the House side, must be ”merged” with the other Senate bill produced by the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee bill (which contains several positive workforce provisions for PAs).  We’ll continue to engage in the process to secure these positive provisions for PAs in the final package, and will keep you apprised of developments and calls to action.  View a brief summary of the bill Sandy Harding, MSW Director, Federal Affairs American Academy of Physician Assistants Phone:  703-836-2272, ext. 3205 Fax:  703- 684-1924