Posted by AA's Can Do IT on February 6, 2007, 4:08 pm
The day will come when one MDA will be allowed to "supervise" as many AA's as he/she feels comfortable doing. This means 6 or 7 AA's to one MDA.
This may take 6-10 years to happen but I believe it will occur. The financial pressure of the healthcare system will make it a reality sooner rather than later. AA's will need to fight the AANA once again at the State level to ensure that the new supervisory rules include AA's. Thus, I predict even more battles with the AANA over the next ten years.
The AANA wants total dominance of the Anesthesia marketplace. A "token" MDA presence will be needed and tolerated provided the rules of the game are dictated by the AANA. This why there are so many CRNA trolls on this board: AA's are a cost effective Mid-Level Provider and the ONLY alternative to a CRNA in the O.R.
MDA "solo" Anesthesia will be too expensive for the government and private payers in 2030 (per Mark Lema, M.D.) so the market will turn to CRNA or AA providers as the major source. Hence, eliminate the AA's and you eliminate the competition.
