Michael L. Powe is vice president of reimbursement and professional advocacy for the American Academy of Physician Assistants. He addresses issues surrounding health care policy, commercial third party payment concerns, the Medicare and Medicaid programs, and various state and federal regulatory agencies. He has been with AAPA for 26 years, and serves as staff liaison to the American Medical Association's CPT and Relative Value Update Committee, which evaluates the Medicare payment process. He is the author of the book, "The Essential Guide to PA Reimbursement" and an adjunct assistant professor at the George Washington University Division of Health Sciences in Washington, D.C.