MCO Opposes Proposals to Expand Provider Authority

Nurses and chiropractors on Friday told Oregon’s Access to Medical Treatment Subcommittee that they should have more authority in treating patients, but a managed care organization said most access problems would not be resolved by doing so.Currently, a nurse practitioner is authorized to provide medical services for 90 consecutive days from the date of the first visit. There is no cap on the number of visits a nurse practitioner can provide treatment.Nurses can’t serve as the attending physician, the provider who is primarily responsible for treatment.Chiropractors can serve as th...