Nurse Practitioners are Disadvantaged by the Medicare Incentive Package, MDs rewarded

Nurse Practitioners and Friends,

Please review the attachment.

Nurse Practitioners have been left out of a major funding area granted in the Stimulus package. We need to stand up for ourselves and ask Congress to remedy this situation.

I met with Jeff Miller (Florida Congressman) and addressed my concern and he is willing to look into this matter. Every NP should contact his office – as well as your own Congressional Office if he is not your representative…….. and strongly urge him or her to help us in this matter.

Please take time to review the information, take a stand and write Congressman Miller at the following address: (Sharon.Santurri@mail.house.gov) Or go onto his web site (jeffmiller.house.gov) and utilize the contact area to put in a message.

Additionally, I have spoken with Dr Lisa Summers the NP representative for the ANA. She is also looking into this matter. Please email her your concern and request her support to fight to remedy this situation. Lisa.Summers@ANA.org

This is the point.

1. NPs were left out of the incentive package from Medicare for Electronic Health Records (EHR). MDs were rewarded with grant money to establish EHR which equates to approximately $44,000 over 5 years. This is a major calculated SLAP in the face Nationally for NPs who have their own business and need this money to compete. This is a major step backwards for us all. NPs were included under the Medicaid package, so our not being included in the Medicare portion was Deliberate and Decisive. It is totally unfair. NPs should be given the SAME opportunities as MDs.
   
   
2. Nurse Practitioners are reimbursed by Medicare for the same services provided by Physicians but at a lesser percentage (15%). It would therefore seem logical that in order to compete with physicians… and therefore save Medicare money….. That NPs should have been awarded a grant at a higher percentage than physicians........ Not eliminated from the Medicare portion of the package.
   
   
3. This measure significantly limits our ability to compete and succeed. I realize that our Nation is in a terrible financial situation, but if Physicians are awarded this money then Nurse Practitioners should also be included in the Medicare portion.
   
   
4. Nurse Practitioner’s Medicare patients are JUST as important as Physician’s Medicare patients… they should not be treated as second class citizens. Our outcome measures prove that we save the Country money and we should be awarded as such not penalized.

Other issues which are important to the NP survival… Please urge your Congressman to support the following:

1.  ANA Supports Bill to Improve Health Care Access for Medicaid Patients 06/23/11

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is urging support for the Medicaid Advanced Practice Nurses and Physician Assistants Access Act (H.R. 2134/S. 56), which would promote greater access to quality primary health care for lower-income individuals, especially in provider shortage areas, by recognizing advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants as qualified providers.

2.  ANA Urges Support for Home Health Care Legislation 06/22/11

The American Nurses Association (ANA) is appealing to lawmakers to support the “Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011” (H.R. 2267, S. 227). This bipartisan legislation, just introduced in the House by Reps. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA) and Greg Walden (R-OR), allows Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to sign home health plans of care and certify Medicare patients for the home health benefit.

Please call me if you have any questions, Betsy Mccormack, FNP-C, FPMHNP-C 850-207-7775