Recent decisions by CMS, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, have a direct and significant impact upon nursing practice and care, for RNs as well as APRNs. The proposed rule for Medicare Conditions of Participation is open for comments; the rule regarding ACOs is a final rule. The link to the Federal Register notice of each rule appears after each heading. ANA comments can be found on our website, Nursing World, at http://www.nursingworld.org/comments.

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Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA’s) webinar regarding changes in the Division of Nursing programs funding for FY2012 explained the Advanced Nursing Education (ANE) and the Nursing, Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Programs have both returned their focus on Education and Practice. The Bureau of Health Professions described ANE will ensure an “inter-professional collaborative” with professional nursing being a priority.

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In what is sure to be a centerpiece in the Democrats battle to take back the House of Representatives in the upcoming 2012 elections, and even though the state lost one of its Congressional seats due to the latest census, the redistricting map approved by Governor Pat Quinn is poised to provide big gains for Democrats next November. The new map has drawn five of the 11 GOP incumbents into districts with other current members while seriously threatening two additional seats. Included in this process is the creation of two new seats; IL-8 which encompasses the northwest suburbs of Chicago and IL-11 which will include the southwest suburbs of Chicago and both are listed as “Likely Democratic” and “Lean Democratic” respectively by the Cook Report.

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The Senate has one number: $165.3 billon and the House has another: $160.2 billion, or $5.1 billion less. With a big gap between the House and the Senate budget numbers for the labor, health and education funding, the negotiations for the fiscal year 2012 budget and a continuing resolution could be continuous.

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ANA held a Congressional briefing on September 27 on Capitol Hill, urging lawmakers to support the bipartisan “Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2011” (H.R. 2267/ S.227). The legislation would remove a federal barrier to practice in Medicare by ensuring that APRNs and PAs can sign home health plans – current law puts an undue burden on the patient, leading to delays in home health services and increased costs for patients. During the briefing ANA also highlighted compelling results from a new study that found implementation of the law will lead to a cost savings of $309 million over ten years for Medicare.

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On Wednesday, September 28th over one thousand nurses from all across the country took part in ANA’s first ever Home Health Virtual Lobby Day. Hundreds of emails, letters and phone calls were made to members of Congress by their nurse constituents urging them to support legislation that will remove a barrier to practice in Medicare by ensuring APRNs can sign home health plans of care. The feedback has been positive and already we’re starting to see results as members of Congress continue to sign on as co-sponsors to this important legislation.

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