09/16/2026

HB 963 Spotlight: Adding PAs as Eligible Providers for Guardian's Report

Ohio House Bill 963 seeks to align state law with modern PA education and practice, for the benefit of Ohio patients and healthcare teams alike.

This article is first a series focusing on the 14 actions within HB 963 that modernize PA practice in Ohio.

Action:

Add PAs as an eligible provider type to complete the Guardian’s Report for the Statement of Expert Evaluation.

Rationale:

Along with physicians and APRNs, PAs are qualified to assess patients and document such assessments, such as in the case of the Guardian’s Report for the Statement of Expert Evaluation pertaining to guardianship of an incompetent person.

When a family petitions a probate court to establish guardianship for a loved one who can no longer make decisions for themselves, the court relies on a Guardian's Report for the Statement of Expert Evaluation to understand that person's condition and needs. Today, only physicians and APRNs can complete this report in Ohio, even if a PA is the provider who knows that patient best.

This isn't just a paperwork issue. For families already navigating one of the hardest decisions they'll ever make, an unnecessary delay or an extra appointment with an unfamiliar provider can add real stress to an already difficult process.

Ohio PA Mike Czajka, MPAS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych, sees this gap firsthand. Practicing in psychiatry, Mike regularly evaluates patients whose cognitive or psychiatric conditions raise questions about their capacity to manage their own affairs, yet current law prevents him from completing the very report that would move a guardianship case forward.

"As a PA working with individuals with serious mental illness, I see firsthand how challenging it can be for patients and families to navigate an already complicated system. The inability of PAs to complete these reports creates another barrier to care and can make it even harder for vulnerable patients and their loved ones to gain access to the support they need."

Ohio PA Michell McDiffett PA-C, DMSc, DFAAPA practices in psychiatry and encounters this same barrier regularly. For her, the issue isn't about capability, it's about recognizing PAs for work they're already trained and positioned to do.

"With 16 years of experience in behavioral medicine, I assess patient symptoms, mental status, and functional capacity on a routine basis. As the Associate Medical Director for a behavioral residential program, I am the primary psychiatric provider to residents from admission through discharge, which can be as long as 6 months or more. Requiring a physician who may not have familiarity with the patient to complete the expert evaluation creates an unnecessary barrier that delays guardianship, increases the risk of losing the patient to follow-up, and places additional strain on patients, families, and the community. "

McDiffett also addresses the impact of this and other outdated regulations on PA practice in this brief video.

Adding PAs as an eligible provider type for the Guardian's Report is a straightforward fix that reflects PAs' training and role on the care team while sparing families extra steps at an already difficult time. Learn more about this and other aspects of House Bill 963, and how you can advocate for PA practice advancement, today.