What is the role of Physician Assistants in providing services for Texas Workforce Compensation Commission programs?
Physician assistants in Texas are the legal agent of the physician in health care matters (enacted in the 77th Legislature). As such, at the Texas Academy of Physician Assistants prompting, theTWCC’s legal staff’s reviewed the document and they agreed that the bill authorized the physician assistant to work as the agent of the physician regarding TWCC matters. This long overdue change allows physician assistants to not only see the patients but to also sign the various TWCC forms. [Caution: the physician is still the authorized provider of services and the physician name belongs in the provider box. However, the physician assistant may sign these documents as the agent.] Please note that APN’s are NOT the legal authorized agents of the physician and are still not permitted to sign the TWCC documents.
