Medical Practices Discussion 2: Non Physician Primary Care

Discussion 2
Name:
Institution:
Date:
Why are non-physician primary care providers so essential for medical practices today?
Nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who are the main non-physician primary care providers have played a very critical role in provision of quality healthcare to patients across the country. They are also the fastest growing segment of physicians with annual increment of 9 percent joining the healthcare provision industry each year CITATION Ced11 \l 1033 (Dark, 2011).
Non-physician primary care givers are essential for medical practices since they are relatively cheaper than other practitioners. The affordability of their services helps the low-income earners access health care. They are also better suited to provide their services to minority groups and undeserved areas. This is because they are relatively more flexible and affordable to hire. Those from various minority groups are posted in their communities to help alleviate the health standards within their communities.
Have we achieved their full potential as a provider?
As a provider, the full potential of their services has not yet been realized. This is partly because on the restrictions imposed on them about the extent of their service provision. They are limited in the services they can provide to patients. In some cases, they are required to practice some services in supervision of a primary care physician. This has greatly reduced their ability to stretch their services to reach more people and provide quality care for them. They are almost as trained as primary care physicians and with several years of practice they can be allowed to provide their services without services. Additionally, some states limit their service delivery to geographical areas thus limiting their utility significantly. However, the situation has improved as today they are allowed to directly bill federal insurance programs Medicare...