Physician Assistant Amendments

5
26B-4-301
31A-22-624
0
Physician Assistant Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Stephen L. Whyte
Senate Sponsor: Michael K. McKell
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill makes changes to provisions related to physician assistants.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
makes technical changes to provisions related to physician assistants to conform to
current code;
amends provisions related to insurance coverage for primary care related to physician
assistants; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
26B-4-301
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapters 50, 340 and 470
31A-22-624
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2025, Chapter 50
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
26B-4-301
is amended to read:
26B-4-301
. Definitions.
As used in this part:
(1)
"Bureau" means the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services created in Section
53-2d-102
.
(2)
"Committee" means the Primary Care Grant Committee described in Section
26B-1-410
.
(3)
"Community based organization":
(a)
means a private entity; and
(b)
includes for profit and not for profit entities.
(4)
"Cultural competence" means a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that
come together in a system, agency, or profession and enables that system, agency, or
profession to work effectively in cross-cultural situations.
(5)
"Health literacy" means the degree to which an individual has the capacity to obtain,
process, and understand health information and services needed to make appropriate
health decisions.
(6)
"Institutional capacity" means the ability of a community based organization to
implement public and private contracts.
(7)
"Medically underserved population" means the population of an urban or rural area or a
population group that the committee determines has a shortage of primary health care.
(8)
"Pregnancy support services" means services that:
(a)
encourage childbirth instead of voluntary termination of pregnancy; and
(b)
assist pregnant women, or women who may become pregnant, to choose childbirth
whether they intend to parent or select adoption for the child.
(9)
"Primary care grant" means a grant awarded by the department under Subsection
26B-4-310(1)
.
(10)
(a)
"Primary health care" means:
(i)
basic and general health care services given when a person seeks assistance to
screen for or to prevent illness and disease, or for simple and common illnesses
and injuries; and
(ii)
care given for the management of chronic diseases.
(b)
"Primary health care" includes:
(i)
services of physicians, nurses,
physician's
physician
assistants, physical
therapists, and dentists licensed to practice in this state under Title 58,
Occupations and Professions;
(ii)
diagnostic and radiologic services;
(iii)
preventive health services including perinatal services, well-child services, and
other services that seek to prevent injury, disease, or the consequences of injury or
disease;
(iv)
emergency medical services;
(v)
preventive dental services; and
(vi)
pharmaceutical services.
Section 2. Section
31A-22-624
is amended to read:
31A-22-624
. Primary care physician, physician assistant, or physical therapist.
(1)
An accident and health insurance policy that requires an insured to select a primary care
provider or physician to receive optimum coverage shall permit an insured to select a
participating provider who is:
(a)
(i)
an obstetrician;
(ii)
a gynecologist;
(iii)
a pediatrician; or
(iv)
a physician assistant who
works with a physician:
has trained in a primary care
physician's office and completed the physician assistant's collaboration
requirement described in Section
58-70a-307
; and
(A)
providing primary care; or
(B)
described in Subsection
(1)(a)(i)
,
(ii)
, or
(iii)
; and
(b)
qualified and willing to provide primary care services, as defined by the health care
plan, as the insured's provider from whom primary care services are received.
(2)
Subject to Subsection
(5)
, an accident and health insurance policy that requires an
insured to select a primary care provider or physician to receive optimum coverage may
permit an insured to select a participating provider who is a physical therapist to provide
physical therapy services.
(3)
An accident and health insurance policy shall clearly state in literature explaining the
policy the options available to insureds under Subsections
(1)
and
(2)
.
(4)
An accident and health insurance policy may not impose a higher premium, higher
copayment requirement, or any other additional expense on an insured because the
insured selected a primary care physician in accordance with this section.
(5)
Notwithstanding Subsection
(2)
, nothing in this section permits a physical therapist to
practice physical therapy outside of the physical therapist's scope of practice under Title
58, Chapter 24b, Physical Therapy Practice Act.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
2-25-26 11:42 AM