How to Become a Medical Assistant in Arizona

Who can apply

• Arizona does not license medical assistants, but it does set training rules. Before you are hired, your supervising physician or physician assistant must make sure you completed one of the training routes in R4-16-401.
• Using the title "medical assistant" without working under direct supervision or holding written proof of completing a qualifying training program is a class 3 misdemeanor (A.R.S. 32-1456(F)).

Step by step

1. Complete one of the training routes in R4-16-401: a program accredited by CAAHEP, ABHES or another U.S. Department of Education-recognized accreditor; an unaccredited program plus a medical assistant exam from a certifying body accredited by NCCA or ANSI; or a physician-designed program that meets the Board's rules.
2. Keep the written verification that you completed the training program.
3. (Optional) Pass a national certification exam (CMA-AAMA, RMA-AMT, CCMA-NHA or NCMA-NCCT). It is required only if you took an unaccredited program.
4. If you will take x-rays, complete an ADHS-approved program, pass the ARRT Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography exam, and get ADHS certification as a Practical Technologist in Radiology.
5. Work under the supervision level the law sets for each task: direct supervision for injections and specimens, general supervision for urinary catheters.

Training and exam

Training: R4-16-401 requires one of three training routes before employment: (1) an approved program (accredited by CAAHEP, ABHES or another accreditor recognized by the U.S. Department of Education); (2) an unapproved program plus passing a medical assistant exam from a certifying body accredited by NCCA or ANSI; or (3) a physician-designed program that meets the Board's rules and gives written verification of completion. It does not apply to people who completed a U.S. Armed Forces medical services training program, or to some who worked as medical assistants before February 2, 2000.

Exam: No state medical assistant exam. A national certification exam is required only if you took an unapproved (unaccredited) training program. For x-ray, you must pass the ARRT Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography exam; ADHS allows three attempts in total.

What it costs in Arizona

Fixed amounts are set by the state. Items marked “your quote” are priced by private sellers, so enter what you’re quoted.

How long it takes

Only if you take x-rays (CPTR certification): ADHS says ARRT sends exam results to the Department about 3-4 weeks after the test, and a complete application may take 3-4 weeks to process.

Good to know in Arizona

What a medical assistant can do in Arizona: Under direct supervision of a physician, PA or nurse practitioner: take body fluid specimens and give injections (A.R.S. 32-1456(A)). Under direct supervision of a physician or PA, the procedures in the CAAHEP 2015 Core Curriculum for Medical Assistants plus whirlpool, diathermy, electronic galvanic stimulation, ultrasound therapy, massage, traction, TENS, hot and cold packs and small-volume nebulizer treatments (R4-16-402). After proper training and under general supervision: place and remove urinary catheters.

Tasks without direct supervision: Billing and coding, insurance verification, scheduling, charting the doctor's findings, visual acuity screening in a routine physical, taking vital signs and medical history, passing on documented advice, test interpretations and orders, and handling prior authorizations as ordered (A.R.S. 32-1456(D)).

What a medical assistant cannot do: The law and rules list what a medical assistant may do; they do not authorize other medical procedures. The Board can add procedures only by rule.

X-ray: To take x-rays you need ADHS certification as a Practical Technologist in Radiology: complete an ADHS-approved program, get ADHS approval to test (no fee), pass the ARRT Limited Scope of Practice in Radiography exam, then apply with the $100 fee. ARRT gives a 90-day exam window, and ADHS says a complete application may take 3-4 weeks to process.

Working for an osteopathic physician (DO): A.R.S. 32-1456 covers medical assistants of MDs. If you work for a DO, the Board of Osteopathic Examiners' rules apply (A.R.S. 32-1859). Under R4-22-403 the supervising DO must make sure, before hiring you, that you completed an approved MA program, an unapproved program plus the AAMA or AMT exam, or an Armed Forces medical services training program.

Renewing x-ray certification: A Practical Technologist in Radiology certificate is valid for two years. Renewal costs $100 (R9-16-623) and requires six hours of continuing education every two years (A.R.S. 32-2815, 32-2816). Late renewal adds a $50 penalty.

Sources

• A.R.S. 32-1456 - Medical assistants; allowable tasks; training; use of title
• Ariz. Admin. Code R4-16-401 - Medical Assistant Training Requirements (Cornell LII)
• Ariz. Admin. Code R4-16-402 - Authorized Procedures for Medical Assistants (Cornell LII)
• Ariz. Admin. Code R4-16-101 - Definitions (approved medical assistant training program) (Cornell LII)
• ADHS - Certified Practical Technologist in Radiology (CPTR) Steps to Certification
• Ariz. Admin. Code R9-16-623 - Fees (Cornell LII)
• Ariz. Admin. Code R4-22-403 - Medical Assistant Training Requirement (osteopathic) (Cornell LII)