SURGICAL TECH./FIRST ASSISTANT H.B. 4403 (H-2): COMMITTEE SUMMARY
House Bill 4403 (Substitute H-2 as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Howard Walker
House Committee: Health Policy
Senate Committee: Health Policy
Date Completed: 10-25-05
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Public Health Code to allow a licensed allopathic physician or osteopathic physician and surgeon to delegate an act, task, or function that involves the use of surgical instrumentation to an individual who was not licensed under Article 15 (Occupations) if the procedure were directly supervised by a licensed physician who physically was present during the performance of the procedure, the delegation of the procedure were not prohibited or otherwise restricted by the applicable board or the health facility or agency, and the delegation of the act, task, or function specifically were authorized by the facility or agency to be delegated and performed by either a surgical technologist or a surgical first assistant who met the qualifications of the facility or agency with which he or she was employed or under contract.
Currently, a licensed allopathic physician or osteopathic physician and surgeon may delegate an act, task, or function involving the use of surgical instrumentation to a student enrolled in a school of medicine or osteopathic medicine approved by the Board of Medicine or the Board of Osteopathic Medicine and Surgery, or to a student enrolled in a physician's assistant training program approved by the Joint Physician's Assistant Task Force, if the procedure is directly supervised by a licensed physician who is present. Additionally, a physician may delegate such a task to an unlicensed individual who is performing acupuncture; or who is surgically removing only bone, skin, blood vessels, cartilage, dura mater, ligaments, tendons, pericardial tissue, or heart valves only from a deceased individual for transplantation, implantation, infusion, injection, or other medical or scientific purpose.
The bill specifies that it would not require new or additional third-party reimbursement or mandated worker's compensation benefits for services rendered by the surgical technologist or first assistant.
MCL 333.16215 Legislative Analyst: Julie Koval
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill likely would have little to no fiscal impact on State and local government. The State and some local governments could experience a slight decrease in medical reimbursement costs for insured employees and fee-for-service Medicaid recipients as lower-cost professionals provided a higher number of covered medical services.
Fiscal Analyst: David Fosdick
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb4403/0506