APRN News

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• ANA Comments on Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

  
  

• Two-thirds of NPs Recognized by CMS for Primary Care Excellence

  
  Read complete posting on ANANurseSpace...

• ANA Recommends APRN Inclusion as Qualifying Factor in Insurance Exchanges

  
  ANA Recommends Requiring Health Plans to Include APRNs to Qualify for State Health Insurance Exchanges

• ANA Recommends Requiring Health Plans to Include APRNs to Qualify for State Health Insurance Exchanges

  
  

• ANA Urges Support for Bill Recognizing APRNs’ Ability to Sign Home Health Plans of Care for Medicare Patients

  
  

• NPs and CNMs Earn Medicaid EHR Incentive Payments

  
  

• ANA Hails Iowa Court Ruling as Nurses’ Scope of Practice Win

  
  

• ANA Applauds Confirmation of Marilyn Tavenner to Lead Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

  
  

• More Medicare APRN Quality/eRx Incentive Winners!

  
  

• Sign White House Petition to Remove Barriers to APRN Practice

  
  

• New Medicare Rule to Pay APRNs for Transitional Care Management

  
  ANA has developed a Frequently Asked Questions resource to help our members understand how this Medicare rule change will affect you in practice.

• Comment on Performance Measures for HHS Public Reporting and Performance-Based Payment Programs

  
  Registered nurses will have the opportunity to comment from Jan. 14-28 on performance measures that potentially could be used as the foundation for federal health care public reporting requirements and performance-based payment programs.

• APRNs Show Continued Growth in Medicare Part B Revenues

  
  Medicare Part B statistics for 2011 show that growth in APRN approved charges continues to exceed Part B growth for all other providers. Non-APRN growth was 2.8%. APRN approved charges increased by 11.0% in 2011 to $2.4 billion. In fact, this was a slight slowdown from the recent trend. Average annual growth in APRN approved charges from 2006 to 2011 was 11.9%.

• Response to AAFP Report

  
  

• "Family Physicians Rap 'Stopgap' Use of Nurse Practitioners" - HealthLeadersMedia (9/24/2012)

  
  

• American Cancer Society Scholarships in Cancer Nursing

  
  To support the training of advanced practice nurses and nurse scientists, the American Cancer Society offers scholarships.

• Colorado Court Rules in Favor of Nurse Anesthetists’ Independence

  
  

• When they're allowed to participate, APRNs excel - One Strong Voice Blog

  
  

• Demand for APRNs Set to Spike - HealthLeaders Media (7/16/2012)

  
  "With coverage expanded so extensively in such a relatively short time, the American Nurses Association believes that one of the most effective means of meeting the healthcare needs of these newly insured patients will be through advanced practice registered nurses."

• Midwife Mania? More U.S. Babies than Ever Are Delivered by Midwives

  
  "In 2009, midwives delivered 8% of babies born in the U.S. — an all-time high. The most midwife-friendly state? New Mexico, where midwives bring 24% of all babies into the world."

• Continuing the quest for the least restrictive practice environment

  
  "Lisa Summers, CNM, DrPH, senior policy fellow in the Department of Nursing Practice and Policy for the American Nurses Association (ANA), said what really matters is ensuring patients receive high quality care from all providers. Not surprisingly, the ANA is very supportive of creating the least restrictive practice environment possible to ensure patients have access to care, APRNs are able to maximize their skill sets, and costs are lowered in a delivery system that is overburdened and understaffed."

• Policy Makers on the Effective Utilization of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses 

  
  

• National Provider Call: Medicare & Medicaid EHR Incentive Program Basics for Eligible Professionals

  
  Thu Mar 29; 3-4:30pm ET

• CMS Issues Call for Application to Facilitate APRN Training

  
  

• No Link Found Between a Nurses Expanded Scope of Practice and Decreased Physician Salaries

  
  

• Understanding APRN Distribution in Urban and Rural Areas Using NPI Data

  
  

• ANA congratulates the American College of Nurse-Midwives on their successful advocacy for House bill 3815

  
  

• UW School of Nursing's priorities can no long bear midwives? - The Seattle Times

  
  Midwives never get much respect, especially from doctors. But now the UW's School of Nursing wants to end 19-year-old nurse-midwife training program, judging that it doesn't meet a "societal need."

• SAVE the University of Washington Midwifery Program (YouTube Video)

  
  The University of Washington Midwifery Program is in jeopardy. Act NOW to SAVE the University of Washington Midwifery Program. Sign the petition at: http://www.change.org/petitions/save-the-uw-nurse-midwifery-education-program.

• Attention NPs: CMS Released Solicitation for the Independence at Home Demonstration

  
  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has released a solicitation for the Independence at Home Demonstration.

• Outraged Families Rally, Urge Evergreen Hospital to Restore Private Practice Cuts to Midwifery Services - Kirkland Reporter

  
  “Midwife means ‘with women’ and many patients come to us because they want a more patient-center approach, with more hands on care to their pregnancy and birth,” said Heather Bradford, a certified nurse midwife at the clinic who works per diem. She has delivered 350 babies at Evergreen since 2002. “We stay with women during their whole labor and consequently, women need less intervention and are less likely to need a cesarean section.”

• CMS Needs to Hear from YOU on Conditions of Participation

  
  The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants comments on the Conditions of Participation for hospitals who participate in Medicare/Medicaid.

• Birth center's link to hospital reassures women who prefer care from midwives - Washington Post

  
  

• APRN Involvement in Medicare Part B Shows Continued Increases in 2010

  
  2010 Medicare Part B APRN Approved Charges and Services

• Nurse Practitioners Were "Lone Rangers," Founder Says - CNN (10/1/11)

  
  "The nurse practitioner philosophy is a holistic approach to the health of the patient, Ford said. Nurse practitioners focus on health, functionality and daily living, and giving the patient feedback."

• National Provider Call on “The ABCs of the Initial Preventive Physical Examination and Annual Wellness Visit”

  
  CMS will host a national provider call on July 21, 1:30-3pm ET.

• Report Drug Shortages to the FDA

  
  The FDA encourages health care professionals to inform the agency when they become aware of a drug shortage.

• ANA Supports Bill to Improve Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients

  
  The American Nurses Association is urging support for the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act.

• ANA Urges Support for Home Health Care Legislation

  
  ANA is appealing to lawmakers to support the “Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011

• ANA Gains Relief for Nurse Practitioners on Electronic Prescribing

  
  In response to a Medicare rule that could have reduced payments by 1 percent in 2012 for nurse practitioners who do little or no prescribing, the American Nurses Association requested the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to make a change to exempt non-prescribing NPs from such penalties.

• ANA Applauds Joint Commission Standards for ‘Medical Homes’

  
  Patients Gain with Decision to Include Nurse-led Clinics

• APRNs Awarded Medicare Bonuses

  
  APRNs Awarded $5.7 Million in Medicare Bonuses for High Quality/e-Prescribing

• New Medicare Rules for NPs on e-Prescribing

  
  

• Joint Commission Hears from Nursing on Proposed Standards for Primary Care Home

  
  As The Joint Commission has moved forward with their initiative to launch a “Primary Care Home” accreditation, ANA has worked to ensure that the Commission receives input from the nursing community.

• From the Medicare Learning Network: “Medicare Information for Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants” Booklet

  
  

• Doctor shortage? 28 states may expand nurses' role - The Associated Press (4/13/10)

  
  "The American Nurses Association hopes the 100 percent Medicare parity for nurse midwives will be extended to other nurses with advanced degrees.
  
  "'We know we need to get to 100 percent for everybody. This is a crack in the door,' said Michelle Artz of ANA. 'We're hopeful this sets the tone.'"

• Are Nurse Practitioners the Solution to Shortage of Primary-Care Doctors? - PBS (5/26/11)

  
  "As more Americans become covered by health insurance, the need for primary care is on the rise, but there is a shortage of primary-care physicians. Health correspondent Betty Ann Bowser reports from Philadelphia on the growing role of nurse practitioners as primary caregivers."

• Health care can be cheaper? Yes, Camden says. - The Christian Science Monitor (3/22/11)

  
  "Camden, a city known for its crime and poverty, is developing a reputation for something positive: an innovative effort to cut health care costs. An official from President Barack Obama's administration and two members of Congress were among the dignitaries who came to the city Tuesday to celebrate something simple — the opening of a nurse practitioner's office in a building with more than 300 apartments for the elderly and the disabled. The office is the latest step in a citywide effort to cut health care costs."

• Health Reform Likely to Expand Role of Nurses - The Oregonian (5/4/11)

  
  "'Nursing is absolutely critical to help fill the void, ' says Michael Bleich, dean of the School of Nursing at Oregon Health & Science University, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year."

• If the US Lacks Doctors, Can Nurses, Optometrists, and Pharmacists Take Their Place? - Health Leaders Media (4/26/10)

  
  "[Nurses have] gone to school for a minimum of six years, just about as long as physicians do," says Rebecca Patton, president of the American Nurses Association, who says that nurse practitioners are being increasingly employed by hospitals to do tasks that residents can no longer perform because of limits on their work hours.

• NPs as an Underutilized Resource for Health Reform - Health News Digest (7/20/10)

  
  "Nurse Practitioners (NPs) have the potential to increase both efficiency and effectiveness in the medical industry as they will play a valuable role in supplying care to new patients about to enter an already strained system. NPs have an opportunity to fill the gap in primary care in a cost-effective manner without reducing the quality of care."

• Nurses to Play a Greater Role in Healthcare - Los Angeles Times (3/29/11)

  
  "Now the nurses are poised to take on an even greater role as Los Angeles County and other health systems develop 'medical home' models of care that expand the number of primary care providers, including nurses, to meet the requirements of national healthcare legislation, reduce unnecessary hospital visits and cut costs."

• Nursing our way out of a doctor shortage - Chicago Tribune (4/18/10)

  
  "What people with medical problems need is medical care, but you don't always need a physician to get treatment. You might also see a different sort of trained professional — say, a nurse practitioner, physician's assistant, nurse or physical therapist."

• Nursing’s Growing Role - Health Leaders Media (7/13/10)

  
  "The ANA's Peterson says the growth of APNs is beneficial for healthcare. 'We have a real shortage of primary care providers,' she says. 'Way too many people end up in emergency rooms with primary care needs. When healthcare needs are unmet, problems become more severe and require hospitalization, but we could have kept the person out of the hospital setting.'"

• Practitioners Seeking Autonomy - Times Union (4/26/11)

  
  "Removing the physician supervision requirement would allow more NPs to start solo practices and fill the gap in areas where there aren't enough doctors, Gordon said. 'We know there are 2 million people in this state that reside in medically underserved areas, both urban and rural,' he said. 'This provides patients access to care without costing money. There is no good reason not to do it.'"

• Primary dispute - Modern Healthcare (4/12/10)

  
  (Viewing article may require registeration)
  
  "'When you talk about healthcare reform and what is expected to happen as far as people having more coverage, there is going to be more people needing care. And it becomes a rather crucial question: Who is going to provide the primary care?' says Rebecca Patton, a registered nurse and president of the American Nurses Association."

• The New Doctors in the House - US News and World Report (4/15/10)

  
  "Witness today's nurse practitioner addressing the critical shortage of primary-care physicians in the United States and other developed countries. These registered nurses, armed with advanced degrees in specialized areas like pediatrics, women's health, or adult disease management, care for a wide range of common medical conditions and wield a prescription pen with virtually the same independence as any M.D."

• The Top Nursing Salaries - NurseZone (11/5/10)

  
  "'It looks like supply and demand to me,' [Peter McMenamin, Ph.D., senior policy fellow for the American Nurses Association] said. 'The advanced practice nurses are fewer. They have more education. They can also do more under their own authority.'”

• US Nurse Practitioners Push for More Responsibilities - The Lancet (2/19/11)

  
  "'Retail clinics are taking off but too many APNs have to negotiate supervision with MDs', says [Lisa] Summers [senior policy fellow at the American Nurses Association]. 'But having MD supervision for a percentage of time is absurd. If someone goes in to a clinic for strep throat on a Monday at noon or a Saturday at 3 pm, there should be no difference in any need for supervision.'”

• NPs: Last Opportunity to Avoid Medicare e-Prescribing Penalties for 2011

  
  From November 2010 through September 2011 CMS made several changes in the rules for enforcing Medicare penalties for insufficient use of eRx.