Nurse practitioners & reimbursement.

Area of Science:

• Health Policy
• Healthcare Reform
• Nursing Practice

Background:

• Nursing's Agenda for Health Care Reform (1991) advocates for primary health care and cost-effective providers in community settings.
• Current healthcare policies present financial and regulatory barriers, limiting consumer access to essential healthcare providers.
• Medicare reimbursement policies often exclude advanced practice providers, creating disincentives for their utilization.

Observation:

• Senate bills S2103 and S2104 propose 97% of physician payment for services rendered by nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse midwives, and physician assistants.
• Case examples demonstrate how reimbursement obstacles restrict consumer access to care.
• Quality of care, autonomous practice, and nursing practice control are impacted by current reimbursement structures.