While health care reform has stalled at the federal level, it’s interesting to look at what has been done. Three years after Massachusetts passed health care reform legislation, the legislature reports that 97% of residents have health insurance, the highest in the nation. Massachusetts Senator Richard Moore, chair of Health Care Financing Committee offers that “health care reform in Massachusetts was much more than expanding access to health insurance. It also addressed improving health care quality and containing costs. What else can we learn from the Massachusetts experience?

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The Senate passed its healthcare bill, H.R. 3590, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act,” on Christmas Eve by a vote of 60-39! ANA wants to make sure you have the latest information on what is happening in Washington, DC! Where is the health care reform debate going? What has happened since the Senate voted on Christmas Eve? All of your questions concerning health care reform are answered here!

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When I graduated nursing school in 2005, my fellow graduates and I took a pledge to care for the ill, “sparing no effort to conserve life, to alleviate suffering, and to promote health.” I believe that supporting policies that help to improve the lives of patients and the conditions in which we care for them is very much in line with the objectives of our nursing oaths. For the past two years, I have been working with Pennsylvania State Nurses Association and most recently the American Nurses Association to fight for issues that affect my patients. Most recently, I have gotten involved with the fight for affordable, high-quality health care for all Americans.

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The American Nurses Association (ANA) continues to ensure the nursing profession’s perspective is clearly heard during the ongoing health care debate. ANA worked with the White House to create the online video, “Who Do You Trust”, which features Vice President Joe Biden, ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, and the American Academy of Family Physicians President Lori Heim discussing the need for meaningful health reform now.

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The Senate voted to begin debate on its health care reform bill and debate begins this week! ANA wants to make sure you have the latest information on what is happening in Washington, DC! Where is the health care reform debate going? What has happened the last few weeks? All of your questions concerning health care reform are answered here!

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ANA’s Government Affairs Twitter feed has become the Twitter feed for nurses and those interested in nursing issues who want to follow the health care reform debate. With “tweets” at 140 characters or less, ANA’s GOVA Twitter is a great way to get quick bites of what is happening on Capitol Hill. ANA’s Government Affairs has been using its Twitter feed to update followers on the latest with health care reform – alerting them to upcoming hearings, newly released versions of the bill, and the latest reports on health care reform strategy.

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