This is extremely important for Nurse Practitioners to pay attention and take action. From GAPNA, ACNP and other organizations. It’s imperative that you participate now. We all know how important this is for our patient care.
——————-
Take ACTION this week !
Congress is scheduled to adjourn for August recess at the end of this month. We are closer than ever to correcting a faulty policy that prevents nurse practitioners from ordering home health care services despite the fact that physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives are authorized Medicare providers.
Today, nursing practitioner organizations will join together in support of H.R. 2267/ S. 227 the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011. We have only a short time before Members of Congress return home for recess. IT IS IMPORTANT TO ACT NOW!
H.R. 2267 / S. 227, the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011, as introduced by Representatives Greg Walden Allyson Schwartz in the House of Representatives and Senators Susan Collins and Kent Conrad in the Senate, recognizes and authorizes nurse practitioners as eligible health care professionals who can order Medicare home health services under their own signature, ensuring that Medicare patients requiring these services receive optimal continuity of care.
Congress must act on a number of Medicare issues later this year. This is our chance to remove these archaic restrictions and allow nurse practitioners to care for their patients. Take action today! Ask your Representative and Senators to cosponsor H.R. 2267 / S. 227, the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011. (If you do not know who your Representative and Senators are, please visit www.house.gov and www.senate.gov, respectively. We must secure a critical mass of support before Congress turns to its package of Medicare fixes in order for this important legislation to be considered. Please use this template to call or email your Members of Congess today!
Dear Representative / Senator _________:
As a practicing nurse practitioner, I am writing/calling to request that, before you/Congressman _____ return(s) home for the August recess, you/he/she cosponsor H.R. 2267 / S. 227, the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011, as introduced by Representatives Greg Walden and Allyson Schwartz in the House of Representatives / Senators Susan Collins and Kent Conrad in the Senate.
Medicare policy is compromising my ability to provide adequate care for my patients because, under Medicare, I am not authorized to sign orders for home health services even though I can provide all other aspects of care for that patient leading up to and after the home health services order has been placed. This requirement necessitates inclusion of another provider who may indeed not be aware of the patient or their condition.
[insert personal story here: (i.e. I live in a rural area and don’t have access to a physician to sign off on my order. / I have my own practice and don’t have a relationship with a physician. / I have a patient who was not able to get the services she needed because of this law.)]
Please help me to be able to serve my patients and help them to access the Medicare services they need by cosponsoring this important legislation.
Thank you,
Home Health Improvement Act of 2011 Co-Sponsors –
Current as of Thursday, July 14
S 227
Sen Akaka, Daniel K. [HI] – 4/14/2011
Sen Conrad, Kent [ND] – 1/31/2011
Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] – 4/6/2011
Sen Johnson, Tim [SD] – 6/14/2011
Sen Merkley, Jeff [OR] – 7/11/2011
Sen Reed, Jack [RI] – 5/17/2011
Sen Wyden, Ron [OR] – 3/28/2011
HR 2267
Rep Barletta, Lou [PA-11] – 6/21/2011
Rep Bass, Charles F. [NH-2] – 6/21/2011
Rep Bilbray, Brian P. [CA-50] – 6/21/2011
Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] – 6/21/2011
Rep Boswell, Leonard L. [IA-3] – 6/21/2011
Rep Brady, Robert A. [PA-1] – 6/21/2011
Rep Capps, Lois [CA-23] – 6/21/2011
Rep Chandler, Ben [KY-6] – 6/21/2011
Rep Cicilline, David N. [RI-1] – 6/21/2011
Rep Coble, Howard [NC-6] – 7/5/2011
Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] – 6/21/2011
Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] – 7/5/2011
Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] – 6/21/2011
Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] – 6/21/2011
Rep Hanabusa, Colleen W. [HI-1] – 6/21/2011
Rep Hanna, Richard L. [NY-24] – 6/21/2011
Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] – 6/21/2011
Rep Lance, Leonard [NJ-7] – 6/21/2011
Rep Langevin, James R. [RI-2] – 6/21/2011
Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] – 6/21/2011
Rep LaTourette, Steven C. [OH-14] – 6/21/2011
Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] – 6/21/2011
Rep Neal, Richard E. [MA-2] – 6/21/2011
Rep Platts, Todd Russell [PA-19] – 7/5/2011
Rep Schakowsky, Janice D. [IL-9] – 6/21/2011
Rep Schrader, Kurt [OR-5] – 6/21/2011
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] – 6/21/2011
Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] – 6/21/2011
Rep Thompson, Mike [CA-1] – 6/21/2011
Rep Wu, David [OR-1] – 6/21/2011