PAs could practice without physician oversight; $32M Medicaid fraud; AI diagnostics threaten patient safety — Morning Medical Update Weekly Recap

Michigan bill would let experienced PAs practice without physician oversight

House Bill 5522, introduced in February with bipartisan support, would exempt physician assistants (PAs) with 1,000 or more clinical hours from the requirement to maintain a formal practice agreement with a physician. The bill would also allow junior PAs to contract with senior PAs instead of physicians and replace "participating physician" throughout the state's Public Health Code with "participating medical provider" beginning in 2027. The Michigan State Medical Society (MSPS) has firmly opposed the measure, arguing it lowers the standard of care, while the Michigan Academy of Physician Associates (MAPA) contends the bill changes nothing about clinical scope and targets an administrative formality that creates real care disruptions when supervising physicians leave a practice. The bill remains in committee.

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Pennsylvania brothers convicted in $32M Medicaid fraud scheme

Two Pennsylvania brothers were convicted by a federal jury for leading a decades-long racketeering enterprise that carried out multiple fraud schemes, including Medicaid fraud that caused more than $32 million in losses.

Prosecutors said Bhaskar Savani, D.M.D., 60, of Ambler, PA, a dentist who controlled multiple dental practices, and Arun Savani, 58, of Blue Bell, PA, who handled the group’s finances and real estate, operated the “Savani Group” — using nominee-owned dental practices to continue billing Medicaid after their contracts were terminated. The scheme also involved fraudulent H-1B visa applications to employ foreign workers, salary kickbacks, money laundering and obstruction of a grand jury investigation.

A third defendant, longtime executive Aleksandra “Ola” Radomiak, 48, of Lansdale, PA, was also convicted for her role in the health care fraud conspiracy. The brothers face potential sentences of more than 400 years in prison, along with fines. Radomiak faces up to 40 years in prison in addition to fines. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2026.

AI in diagnosis tops ECRI’s 2026 patient safety concerns report

Balancing the promise and risks of artificial intelligence (AI) in clinical diagnosis is the number one patient safety concern for 2026, according to ECRI's annual Top 10 Patient Safety Concerns report. Two in three physicians reported using AI in 2024 — a 74% increase from 2023 — but ECRI warns that unchecked reliance on AI diagnostic tools can introduce the very errors they were designed to prevent, including missed diagnoses, algorithmic bias and the gradual erosion of clinical judgment. The report's remaining concerns include reduced rural health care access, rising rates of preventable diseases, the effects of federal funding cuts on operations and safety and persistent workforce shortages.