S.474 would give “authorized health care providers”, defined as including but not limited to advanced practice registered nurses and physician assistants, the legal authority to perform initial examinations in facilities operated by the Department of Mental Health (DMH), and to authorize medications and treatment for patients in the same.
Like other healthcare reforms introduced this session S.474 would help to increase the supply of medical service providers by removing legal restrictions. This type of reform would help to lower costs for healthcare providers and consumers, and would increase patient access to care.