Policy Watch

According to a Marketplace, American Public Media radio story aired as nurse practitioners (NPs) began their annual conference in Phoenix, health care reform has breathed new life into the care that NPs provide to Americans. With a focus on reducing costs, policy makers, health care leaders, and consumers are viewing access to NPs and the health care they provide in a new light. In many states NPs can diagnose disease, prescribe medications and interpret lab tests. In some rural areas, the NP is the only health care provider available.

Hoping to set the tone for identifying ways to help strengthen the nursing profession, Senators Merkley (D-OR), Snowe (R-ME), Johanns (R-NB), and Mikulski (D-MD) recently announced plans to form the Senate Nursing Caucus. The new caucus will examine the role nurses play in delivering high-quality health care. Senators will review the issues surrounding the nursing shortage, tuition debt and patient safety. Nurses will be invited to share their ideas and concerns about their profession. Read more here.

This week, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced $250 million in new investments to increase the number of health care providers and strengthen the primary care workforce. This announcement reflects an increasing focus on workforce issues as part of health care reform implementation; the new investments were made possible by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA).

Clair Jordan, MSN, RN, executive director of the Texas Nurses Association and CCNA Texas state team member, joins nurse leaders from Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma in a discussion of the federal health care reform proposals currently being considered by lawmakers in Washington, D.C. The proposals, they say, include several important nursing related delivery system reforms. Passing national healthcare reform legislation has become a heavy burden on both state and national legislators.

This week the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee approved its version of The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which includes a major increase in federal funding for nurse education and training, including:

Today, President Obama signed into law the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, making an historic investment in nursing education and, as a consequence, the health and health care of Americans, now and in the future.

Last week, Congress gave final approval and President Obama signed into law a nearly 10 percent boost for nursing education funding in fiscal year 2009. The budget also provides a 46 percent increase in funding for the Title VIII faculty loan repayment program to help reduce the nursing faculty shortage.

On Tuesday, April 21, the Senate Finance Committee held a roundtable hearing, "Reforming America's Health Care Delivery System." A focus of this roundtable included a discussion of a transitional care benefit in the Medicare program.

In his FY 2010 budget, President Obama included an additional $95 million for nursing education - a 50 percent increase from 2009. Here is the provision:

On June 8, 2009, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) and Congressman Lee Terry (NE-02) introduced legislation aimed at improving access to quality health care and reducing health disparities. The Nurse-Managed Health Clinic Investment Act of 2009 would support Nurse-Managed Health Clinics (NMHCs) in providing comprehensive and accessible primary healthcare and wellness services to vulnerable populations in America’s medically underserved communities. The services provided by these clinics help reduce the level of health disparities experienced by these vulnerable populations wh