CO HB1184

Carriers offering health benefit plans must reimburse physician assistants for services within their scope of practice at the same rate as physicians, effective January 1, 2022.

Replaces physician assistant "supervision" requirement with "collaboration" requirement, with formal collaboration required only for physician assistants with fewer than 5,760 hours of practice experience or those beginning practice in a new specialty.

Physician assistants with 5,760+ hours of practice experience engage in informal collaboration through consultation and referral without formal requirements.

Carriers must identify physician assistants as rendering professionals in billing and claims, authorize direct payment, and cannot impose more restrictive practice requirements than state law.

Physicians may enter into collaborative practice agreements with up to eight physician assistants (previously could supervise up to four), with employers prohibited from requiring this as a condition of employment.