The public and third party payers also seem to approve of PA's use. For example, Medicare now allows physicians to bill the government for services provided by PA's in hospitals and nursing homes. Opportunities will be best in States that allow PA's a wider scope of practice, such as the ability to prescribe medication. Besides the traditional office-based setting, PA's should find a growing number of jobs in institutional settings such as hospitals, academic medical centers, public clinics, and prisons. The growth of managed care and group medical practices should also lead to more jobs since they use PA's to provide a wide variety of services because their salaries are lower than those of physicians.
Income varies by specialty, practice setting, geographical location, and years of experience.
The profession evolved in response to an appeal to extend the delivery of primary care medicine and, since its inception in 1965, has had an impact on improving the quality of health care. The PA may be delegated a wide range of medical tasks and skills. This sets the PA apart from most other allied health personnel, who normally function within a specified range and with well-defined responsibilities to the patient. The scope of responsibilities for a PA include interviews and examinations, synthesis of laboratory and care record data, treatment, and follow-up care. The PA works directly under the supervision of the physician.