February 2019 Newsletter
Eileen Meyer, VP of Policy, represents NPAA at A ANP 2019 Health Policy Conference in Washington DC Feb 3-5, 2019
The main focus of this year’s legislation is all about removing barriers to practice in the Medicaid System. Retiring barriers such as authorizing NPs to certify their patients’ need for home health care, authorizing NPs to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes, authorizing NPs to perform the admitting physicals for patients entering skilled nursing facilities, and authorizing NPs to certify their patients for hospice care will increase access to care, increase efficiency of care, and decrease costs. Retiring these barriers is necessary for our Medicare System to truly reflect the high quality care NPs provide daily.
 
Top Priorities
  • Home Health Care Access
  • We are asking for the Senate to cosponsor S.296, the Home Health Planning Improvement Act of 2019
  • We are asking the House to introduce companion legislation to S. 296
  • Senator Richard Shelby has no opposition to the bill
 
Diabetic Shoes
  • We are asking the Senate to cosponsor S. 237, the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act
  • We are asking the House to cosponsor H.R 808, the Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act
  • There is no opposition from either branch
 
Accountable Care Organizations
  • We are asking the House to cosponsor H.R. 900, the ACO Assignment Improvement Act of 2019
  • There is no opposition from the Senate

Other Federal Legislative Policy Priorities
  • Authorize NPs to certify Medicare patients for Hospice Care
  •  Authorize NPs to perform admitting examinations and all required patient assessments in Skilled Nursing Facilities
  • NPs to be included in all substance use initiatives
  • Amend Medicare Conditions of participation to require hospitals to include NPs for appointment to medical staffs
  • Authorize NPs to order cardiac and pulmonary rehab services on Medicare patients
NPAA 2019 Call for Abstracts
The Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama (NPAA) cordially invites you to submit an abstract on evidence-based practice to be considered for a podium presentation at the 2019 annual conference.

NPAA will hold its 13th Annual Advanced Nursing Practice Conference on October 4-5, 2019 at the Hyatt Wynfrey Conference Center in Birmingham, AL (located at Galleria Mall).

The theme for this year’s conference is: "Future of Health Care...Your Voice Matters to Your Patients and Your Profession.” Please note that presentations should include best practices in advanced nursing practice and include updates in pharmacological treatment and advances related to the topic. Scholarly projects, original research, and quality improvement projects with outcome data are also of interest to the panel.

To make your hotel reservations, please click here:
NPAA Participated in CANPA's Annual Conference
NPAA officers and steering committee members were invited to present and exhibit at the annual CANPA conference held on February 16, 2019. Joy Deupree and Eileen Meyer presented a Legislative Update to attendees. Louise Turner and Lindsey Harris enjoyed meeting the participants who stopped by to visit at the NPAA exhibit table. Welcome to all new members who joined NPAA.
Need Travel Funds? Apply for a NPAA Travel Grant!
NPAA’s purpose of funding travel grants is to support NPs in their professional development and to advance the NP profession.

Travel grants are available to NPAA members who are in good standing and who are practicing in an NP role. Applicants must be certified registered nurse practitioners or graduate NP students expected graduate during the grant funding year. Students must submit verification of enrollment in a NP program to be eligible for consideration. Applicants may receive up to $250 in funding and must complete travel within one year of the award.
The Economic Burden and Practice Restrictions Associated With Collaborative Practice Agreements: A National Survey of Advanced Practice Registered Nurses
Brendan Martin, PhD, and Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN
The U.S. healthcare system is facing workforce shortages in rural and primary care settings. Despite growing demand for providers and comparable quality metrics, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) still face significant barriers to independent practice due to reduced scope of practice regulations. In this study, APRNs working in rural areas and APRN managed private clinics were one and a half to six times more likely to be assessed Collaborative Practice Agreement (CPA) fees, often exceeding $6,000 and up to $50,000 annually. Similarly, APRNs subject to minimum distance requirements, fees to establish a CPA, and supervisor turnover reported a 30% to 59% uptick in restricted care. Such unnecessary regulation risks diverting health services away from and increasing costs in traditionally underserved areas, contributing to inequities in care. It is incumbent on state legislatures to address these disparities and make their constituents’ access to high-quality care a top priority.

Click here to read the full article .
STANDING TOGETHER: STRENGTH IN NUMBERS
Join the Members of the Nurse Practitioner Alliance of Alabama and become part of a group whose goal is to engage, retain, and advance nurse practitioners in Alabama through education, leadership development, and networking opportunities.
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