Practice Management Alert

Question: The Pennsylvania Medical Society states that if a PA prescribes medications, the doctor must cosign the note within 10 days. I always have my doctors cosign the notes to show they participated in the patient's care on an ongoing basis, but some of the physicians in my group do not feel it is necessary. Is there a Medicare or other requirement that a physician co-sign office visit notes when the physician assistant or nurse practitioner performs the service? Pennsylvania Subscriber Answer: The regulations for having physicians cosign notes varies by state. You'll need to check the nonphysician practitioner (NPP) rules in your state, as those will govern when you need the physician's signature. This is not a CMS or payer requirement, but rather a state regulation. As you noted, in Pennsylvania, if a physician assistant (PA) does not prescribe medication, the state does not require co-signed notes but does [...]