APN REGULATION AND LEGISLATION

Scope of Practice: Who Should Do What to Assure High Quality, Efficient Health Care . . . And How Can States Decide? Click here for details. Evidence-Based Health Policy Project Briefing; March 3, 2010
State Capitol, 412 East; 8:30-11:00; Scope of Practice: Who Should Do What to Assure High Quality, Efficient Health Care . . . And How Can States Decide?

Click here to view "Evolving Issues & Challenges for Advanced Practice Nurses" dated December 7, 2009.  This is a powerpoint presented by Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA, Executive Director of Wisconsin Nurses Association.

MedPAC Focuses on Nurses Practitioners & Other Non-Physicians. MedPAC encourages written and verbal comments, and meetings with its staff members. Comments on current agenda items can now be submitted electronically, through MedPAC's website, at http://www.medpac.gov. Payment updates and other issues and recommendations will be discussed fully in upcoming reports to Congress, issued each March and June, and also available through the website. For updates on specific topics go to ANA's Capitol Update at http://www.capitolupdate.org/index.php/2010/01/medpac-focuses-on-nurse-practitioners-other-non-physicians

Medicare Physician/APRN Pay Cut Avoided.  On December 19, President Obama signed into law H.R. 3326, the Department of Defense Appropriations Act, which contains a temporary pay freeze on Medicare Part B reimbursement rates for physicians, advanced practice redgistered nurses, and other nonphysician providers. A 21 percent pay cut was scheduled to take effect in January 2010. The hold is effective only for two months, through February 28, 2010. The American Medical Association is leading efforts to permanently end annual Medicare pay cuts under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid vowed to work on the issue in early 2010, but that was before the Massachusetts Senate election and the ensuring chaos over health care reform.

Medicare: ANA Advocates for Nurses and Patients at MedPAC, RUC and CPT Meetings.  Medicare policies touch the lives of many of our patients, and reimbursement issues directly or indirectly affect financial compensation for many staff RNs and advanced practice RNs. Many APRNs are enrolled as Medicare providers, and are directly reimbursed for caring for Medicare patients. ANA GOVA staff had the opportunity recently to advocate for nurses and patients at recent meetings of MedPAC, and the RUC and CPT committees.  For more information go to:  http://www.capitolupdate.org/index.php/2009/10/medicare-ana-advocates-for-nurses-and-patients-at-medpac-ruc-and-cpt-meetings/

Click here for access to the current WNA Working for You - Winter 2010 document.  Details regarding legislation/rules relating to Advance Practice Nurses can been found under Core Issue #1 - Workforce Health, Rights & Safety in the first section - Workforce Advocacy Legislation/Regulation.