Each year, many Americans go without essential health care services because physicians simply are not available to care for them. This problem plagues rural and urban areas alike. Medicaid beneficiaries are particularly vulnerable, since in recent years a number of health professionals have chosen not to care for them or have been unwilling to locate to the communities where many beneficiaries live. APRNs are an exception to this trend; they frequently accept patients that other providers will not treat and they often serve in health care shortage areas.
This September, as government policymakers look to reform Medicaid, it is ANA’s hope that the U.S. Congress will include the Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act (H.R. 2716, S. 1515) in their reconciliation bill. These bills would change Medicaid law by eliminating barriers to the quality health care services provided by APRNs. The proper utilization of APRNs will increase access to health care while decreasing preventable acute-care admissions and emergency room visits – thus offering a substantial cost-savings benefit.
Reforming Medicaid while maintaining Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to essential health care services calls for affordable, common-sense options. That is why it is important to recognize the potential solutions – including case-management services – which APRNs are able to provide.