COVID-19 Updates

Check this webpage often for updates on how the AAMA is keeping apace with the effects of COVID-19, including CMA (AAMA)^® certification and recertification, testing centers, continuing education, and more.

Review the following answers to anticipated key questions below:

Is My AAMA State Society Conference Still Happening? Check the "State Society Conferences" webpage for information on which conferences are canceled or postponed. We will post info as soon as we have it. If nothing is said about your conference, email your state president for more information. To find your president's contact info, visit the "State and Chapter Listings" webpage, and follow the link(s) to your state society's website or Facebook profile.

Have More Questions? Email us! A full list of department email addresses is on the "Contact" webpage.

Thank you for your patience during this time. We will continue to monitor the situation and post updates to this webpage as they become as available. Also, refer to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for information on COVID-19.

Legal Perspectives on COVID-19 Topics

The following is a curated collection of legal perspectives on COVID-19 topics from AAMA CEO and Legal Counsel Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA, that were published on his blog Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting and in CMA Today as Public Affairs articles.

Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting Blog Posts

Counsel Balasa dives into legal questions surrounding COVID-19 and medical assistants’ scope of practice in his blog. The following is a collection of such Legal Eye: On Medical Assisting blog posts with publication date noted:

“Permissible Delegation to Medical Assistants in Response to COVID-19” (April 22, 2020)
“Clinical Task Delegation in Iowa” (May 6, 2020)
“Nasopharyngeal Swabbing for COVID-19 Testing in New York” (May 27, 2020)
“Medical Assistants in Ambulatory Surgery Centers” (June 3, 2020)
“CMS Final Rule Supports Medical Assistants Performing Nasopharyngeal Swabbing” (July 8, 2020)
“CDC Affirms Medical Assistants’ Role in Telehealth” (July 22, 2020)
“Permissible Delegation of Influenza Vaccination Administration in Michigan” (Nov. 18, 2020)
“Delegation of COVID-19 Vaccinations in Tennessee” (Dec. 11, 2020)
“Connecticut COVID-19 Crisis Necessitates Medical Assistants Administering Vaccinations” (Dec. 15, 2020)
“The Delegation of Off-Site Blood Draws in WA” (Jan. 6, 2021)
“COVID-19 Vaccination in Maryland” (Jan. 25, 2021)
“COVID-19 Vaccination in New Jersey” (Jan. 27, 2021)
"Nebraska Amendment Clarifies Medical Assisting Scope of Practice" (March 3, 2021)
“Medical Assistants Deserve COVID-19 Vaccinations as Health Care Workers” (March 10, 2021)
“Delegation of COVID-19 Vaccinations in Oregon: Part I” (April 7, 2021)
“Delegation of COVID-19 Vaccinations in Oregon: Part II” (April 14, 2021)
“COVID-19 Vaccination in the District of Columbia” (Nov. 10, 2021)
“The Impact of Federal Law on COVID-19 Vaccination in Michigan” (Nov. 17, 2021)

CMA Today Public Affairs Articles

In CMA Today, Legal Counsel Balasa covers critical issues, such as the right to practice and recognition of the CMA (AAMA)® credential. The following is a collection of his Public Affairs articles that address topics applicable to the COVID-19 pandemic:

“Medicare CCM and TCM Programs: Defining Medical Assistants’ Roles and Services” (Mar/Apr 2018) Also available as a PDF
“Medical Assistants’ Role in Remote Physiological Monitoring Services” (Mar/Apr 2020) Also available as a PDF
“Medical Assistants Answer the Call to Work in Acute Care Settings: What Is Their Scope of Practice?” (Jul/Aug 2020) Also available as a PDF
“Medical Assistants’ Competence in Performing Diagnostic Tests: Comments to CMS” (Sept/Oct 2020) Also available as a PDF
“What Tasks Are Delegable to—and Performable by—Medical Assistants? Part I” (Nov/Dec 2020) Also available as a PDF
“What Tasks Are Delegable to—and Performable by—Medical Assistants? Part II” (Jan/Feb 2021) Also available as a PDF
“Federal Policy and the Pandemic: How the Pandemic and Changes in Federal Policy Have Expanded Medical Assistants’ Scope of Practice” (March/April 2021) Also available as a PDF
“The AAMA Achieves Legislative Victories in Maryland and Washington” (July/August 2021) Also available as a PDF
“How Will Medical Assistants Be Impacted by the CMS COVID-19 Vaccination Rule?” (Jan/Feb 2022) Also available as a PDF

Resources

Jump to a collection of legal perspectives on COVID-19 topics from AAMA CEO and Legal Counsel Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA.

COVID-19 Vaccination Requirements in WA

Washington state Governor Jay Inslee announced on Aug., 9, 2021, a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for most health care providers and workers. Read the Washington State Department of Health bulletin for more information.

Fast Facts of the Legal Environment

NCSBN Supports COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Delegation to Certified Medical Assistants

In its December 15, 2020, policy brief on COVID-19 vaccine administration, the National Council of State Boards of Nursing—the membership organization for boards of nursing in American jurisdictions—stated that knowledgeable and competent certified medical assistants may be delegated COVID-19 vaccine administration.

Medical Assistants as “Vaccinators”

Medical assistants are classified as “vaccinators” for COVID-19 vaccines under the COVID-19 Vaccination Program. Read more in the COVID-19 Vaccination Program Interim Playbook for Jurisdiction Operations (2ndversion) via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.

CDC Info on the Coronavirus

Medical assistants share the responsibility to be in the know about the latest health concerns when patients come in with questions. Keep up to date on the latest information on the coronavirus from the CDC.

Strategies to Optimize PPE

Learn strategies for optimizing personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies in response to COVID-19 from the CDC.

CMS Announces Relief for Those Participating in Quality Reporting Programs

In response to COVID-19, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it is granting exceptions from reporting requirements and extensions for clinicians and providers participating in Medicare quality reporting programs with respect to upcoming measure reporting and data submission for those programs.

COVID-19 Vaccination Administration in Georgia

On January 13, 2021, the AAMA represented by AAMA Legal Counsel and CEO Donald A. Balasa, JD, MBA, and the Georgia Society of Medical Assistants sent the Georgia Public Health Department a letter supporting the legality of delegating COVID-19 vaccinations to medical assistants. On January 22, 2021, the Georgia governor issued an executive order allowing medical assistants to administer COVID-19 vaccines without direct on-site supervision by a physician, physician assistant (PA), or advanced practice nurse (APRN) if they are remotely supervised by a physician, PA, APRN, or registered nurse and received appropriate training.