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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Taylor

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/30/2008

HB

SHORT TITLE

Anesthesiologist Assistant Licensure

SB 485

ANALYST Moser

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

NM Medical Board (NMMB)

Health Policy Commission (HPC)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 485 revises the employment requirements for licensure of Anesthesiologist Assistants

and increases the number of Anesthesiologist Assistants that an Anesthesiologist may supervise.

SB 485 also includes correction and clarification revisions.

§61-6-10.2, Subsection A, definition of an anesthesiologist. SB485 deletes language restricting

employment to the department of anesthesiology of a medical school in New Mexico.

§61-6-10.2, Subsection B, definition of an anesthesiologist assistant. SB485 deletes language

restricting employment to “a university in New Mexico with a medical school." Subsection B

also revises the definition to read “develop and implement" anesthesia care plans and deletes the

language “assist an anesthesiologist in developing and implementing" anesthesia care plans.

§61-6-10.2, Subsection C, Paragraph (7) revises the number of anesthesiologist assistants a

supervising anesthesiologist may supervise at one time from a maximum of three (3) to “the

maximum number of supervised providers permitted by the centers for medicare and medicaid

services or its successor organization."

Senate Bill 485 – Page

2

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

SB 485 removes the current requirement that Anesthesiologist Assistants may only work at the

University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. This change would allow other hospitals in

New Mexico to employ and supervise Anesthesiologist Assistants under the same rules and

regulations.

T

he removal of this employment requirement could potentially increase the number

of anesthesiologists and anesthesiologist assistants throughout the state.

Additionally SB 485 increases the number of Anesthesiologist Assistants that may be supervised

by a Board Certified Anesthesiologist into line with the current national standard established by

the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. The Medical Board feels that this change will allow

more anesthesia services to be offered, thus allowing for improved access to care and the

potential for decreased costs.

Passage of SB485 would allow other hospitals in New Mexico to employ and supervise

Anesthesiologist Assistants under the same rules and regulations, allowing statewide access to

these well-trained and highly skilled allied health professionals.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The Health Policy Commission (HPC) indicates that Section 16.10.19.10, Supervision

Requirements, includes the following language: “an anesthesiologist may not supervise more

than three (3) anesthesiologist assistants, except in emergency cases. An anesthesiologist shall

not supervise, except in emergency cases, more than four anesthesia providers if at least one is an

anesthesiologist assistant. The HPC argues that the language in this section would need to be

revised to be consistent with the revisions set forth in SB485.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

Supervision Requirements

The HPC states that “Pursuant to Section 16.10.19.10, except in cases of emergency, the

supervising anesthesiologist must be present in the operating room during induction of a general

or regional anesthetic and during emergence from a general anesthetic, and the presence of the

supervising anesthesiologist must be documented in the patient record. The supervising

anesthesiologist must be present within the operating suite and immediately available to the

operating room when an anesthesiologist assistant is performing anesthesia procedures. The

supervising anesthesiologist shall ensure that all activities, functions, services and treatment

measures are properly documented in writing and that all anesthesia records are reviewed,

countersigned and dated.

New Mexico Anesthesiologists

According to the Physician Supply and Distribution in New Mexico 2006 report, there were an

estimated 126 active patient care anesthesiologists practicing in New Mexico in 2006. Of the 126

anesthesiologists, 105 were male and 21 were female. Thirty-eight percent of the New Mexico

anesthesiologists were aged 45-54.

Senate Bill 485 – Page

3

Source: Physician Supply and Distribution in New Mexico 2006,

http://www.hpc.state.nm.us/documents/Physician%20Supply%20and%20Distribution%20in%20

New%20Mexico_%202006.pdf

GM/jp