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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ANA submitted formal comments to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) responding to proposed rules that directly impact the practice of nursing, especially in home health care and hospital outpatient services. Even nurses who don’t work in these areas may have patients or know someone affected by these policies. Final rules responding to our comments are due out later this year. These, and other ANA regulatory comments, are available on Nursing World, at http://www.nursingworld.org/comments.

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On October 1, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) launched a new web-based resource called the “Plan Finder” to help beneficiaries and their families choose between drug and health plan options available in their area. “The information that’s available now on the Plan Finder will also help caregivers, health providers, and partners that support and counsel seniors and people with disabilities in selecting the best plan for their needs,” said CMS Administrator Donald M. Berwick, M.D.

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On October 7, a joint workshop on Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) was held by the Federal Trade Commission, CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and Office of Inspector General, Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS). Section 3022 of the Affordable Care Act encourages groups of providers to create ACOs to manage and coordinate care for Medicare beneficiaries, and receive payments for cutting costs & meeting performance standards (to be set by HHS). Section 3021 authorizes HHS to test whether ACOs improve quality and reduce costs.

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At a Capitol Hill briefing on July 28, representatives from America’s Health Insurance Plans and private insurers Aetna, Humana, Tufts Health Plan, and UnitedHealthcare noted that case management programs – particularly those utilizing nurses – were instrumental in helping ensure quality care after hospital discharge and preventing costly hospital readmissions.

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As you may be aware, nursing leader and ANA member Mary Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, was recently appointed to be a commissioner on MedPAC, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission. MedPAC is charged with advising Congress and CMS (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) on Medicare and Medicaid policies, including annual payment updates for the Medicare prospective payment systems – such as the Physician Fee Schedule, which covers the reimbursement of APRNs (advanced practice registered nurses).

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