U.S. House Approves APRN Services for Reimbursement of Federal Workers Comp Visits
On November 29th, the U.S. House approved by voice vote H.R. 2465, the Federal Workers Compensation Modernization and Improvement Act. The Act, along with various changes to the federal workers compensation program, includes a provision that would allow reimbursement of services provided by APRNs.
The bill, introduced by Reps. John Kline (R-MN), George Miller (D-CA), Jim Walberg (R-MI) and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA), would clarify that the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) program would reimburse for “treatment by a physician assistant or an advanced practice nurse, such as a nurse practitioner, within the scope of their practice as defined by State law, consistent with regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Labor.”
During the House Committee on Education and the Workforce committee consideration of the bill, APRN groups urged that the bill’s language should be broadened to be inclusive of the four APRN categories rather than just specifying only one type of APRN. The Department of Labor supported the existing language, and the bill passed with the above-mentioned specification. However, a Joint Statement of Legislative Intent was adopted and will advise the agency of the need to be inclusive with the APRN provider language. The bill now goes to the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee for possible consideration. ANA will work to have the more inclusive definition included in the final legislation.
April Canter
Tags: Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA), H.R. 2465, Homeland Security, January 2012, reimbursement of APRNs
