Growing Healthcare Workforce Needs
The faces a projected shortage of 100,000 healthcare workers by 2028, including doctors, nurses, and home health aides, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions to expand the workforce.
The PA Licensure Compact, allowing physician assistants (PAs) to practice across state lines without additional licensing, aims to address this shortage by leveraging the skills of PAs trained in diverse specialties.
Challenges and Opposition
Despite its potential to improve healthcare access, the PA Compact faces opposition from some large states like and New York, where lawmakers argue it could lower healthcare standards by mixing state licensing requirements.
In states like , concerns arise that the compact may allow out-of-state PAs to exceed local practice limitations, with some doctors and the arguing it could jeopardize patient safety.