APMA News - January/February 2020 - 34

Working Together to Advance State Legislation:
A 2019 Retrospective

34 APMA News January/February 2020

Handshake by Shutterstock/Faberr Ink.

Additionally, APMA Clinical Affairs Director
PMA's Center for Professional Advocacy
(CPA) continued to support members
Dyane Tower, DPM, MPH, MS, testified before
and state components throughout
the Massachusetts legislature's Joint Committee
2019 on various legislative issues. Of utmost
on Public Health in November in support of
priority is modernizing state scope-of-praclegislation to modernize the podiatric scope-oftice laws to ensure state law is commensurate
practice statute. Dr. Edwards submitted written
with the education, training, and experience of
testimony on behalf of the profession that elabopodiatric physicians and surgeons. Currently, Alarated on Dr. Tower's comments.
bama, Massachusetts, and Mississippi limit the
Another key state issue for the profession
practice of podiatric medicine
is allowing podiatrists to suto the foot. CPA staff speaks
pervise physician extenders,
Of utmost priority is modernizing
regularly with each of these
and in August, CPA hosted the
state components and their
2019 State Advocacy Forum in
state scope-of-practice laws to
lobbyists and provides supMilwaukee to emphasize the
ensure
state
law
is
commensurate
port, resources, and guidance
recent success of the Wisconsin
with the education, training,
throughout the year.
Podiatric Medical Association
In 2019, in Massachusetts,
(WPMA) in changing state law
and experience of podiatric
CPA and the Massachusetts
to authorize DPMs to superphysicians and surgeons.
Foot and Ankle Society (MFAS)
vise physician assistants (PA)
equipped themselves with a
and nurse practitioners (NP).
powerful new ally. In November, the Federal Trade CommisThe forum kicked off with a panel discussion featuring Wisconsion (FTC) submitted a comment to Massachusetts State Represin State Representative David Murphy, as well as WPMA leadsentative Paul Donato in support of a bill before the Massachuership and its state lobbyist. The event provided an opportunity
setts legislature to allow podiatrists to treat not just the foot, but
for state association leaders and representatives to discuss other
also the lower leg.
ongoing state legislative issues and learn from each others' sucThe FTC letter to Rep. Donato on House Bill 1869/Senate
cesses and setbacks, as well as receive expert advice from APMA
Bill 1329 states that "allowing health-care professionals to prostaff, health-care attorneys, and lobbyists.
vide additional services that are within the scope of their trainThroughout the legislative process in Wisconsin, WPMA
worked with both the NP and PA state associations. Demoning should yield procompetitive benefits for Massachusetts's
strating the importance of grassroots mobilization, WPMA phyhealth care consumers, which may include lower costs, shorter
sician leaders took time out of their practices to meet with legwait times for appointments, and increased access to lower leg
islators as well as to testify before the state legislature and
health care across the state."
enlisted their friends and family members to contact their legThe letter urges lawmakers to avoid restrictions on podiaislators in support of the bill.
trists that are not narrowly tailored to address well-founded paIn October, the APMA CPA and the Maryland Podiatric
tient safety concerns. It also notes that the aging population
Medical Association (MPMA) hosted Maryland Delegate Ariana
and increase in chronic conditions such as diabetes and obesity
Kelly (District 16) at APMA headquarters to discuss important
in the US are likely to lead to increased demand for medical and
issues affecting the podiatric medical profession that are before
surgical foot and ankle care.
her subcommittee. She chairs the Health Occupations SubcomCPA and MFAS worked closely with the FTC to achieve
mittee, which would have jurisdiction over physician-definition
FTC support for increased scope of practice for podiatric
legislation to be proposed by MPMA. Because APMA headquarphysicians and surgeons in Massachusetts. "We are pleased
ters is located in Del. Kelly's district, APMA and MPMA invited
that the FTC has lent its support to the bill in Massachusetts,"
said APMA President David G. Edwards, DPM. "The FTC comher to APMA to meet her constituents and learn more about the
ments reflect a common-sense approach to physician scope of
profession. MPMA is working on a bill that redefines podiatrists
practice, as well as a refi ned understanding of podiatrists'
in Maryland as "podiatric physicians." APMA and MPMA diseducation, training, and experience. We are optimistic that
cussed the education and training of doctors of podiatric medithe support of the FTC will help propel the bill to passage in
cine at length, and the comparability of podiatric education and
the Massachusetts legislature."
training to allopathic and osteopathic physician training. MPMA

APMA News - January/February 2020

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