The House approved on September 25 a Continuing Resolution (CR) to keep the federal government operating at FY2009 funding levels through the end of October. The Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill has been passed by the House but is awaiting floor action in the Senate.
On September 22, the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus (D-MT), issued a “modified” Chairman’s Mark that sought to address some of the high-level concerns raised by Democrats. Also included in this modified Mark was a provision offered by Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), amendment D-4, that would appropriate $50 million per year for FY2012 through FY2015 to establish a graduate nurse education demonstration program in Medicare.
In the early morning hours of October 2, the Senate Finance Committee approved the inclusion of an amendment to the Chairman’s Mark, America’s Healthy Future Act, which would aim to create a pilot program providing patients with care options that offer both independence and quality of life. Specifically, Senator Ron Wyden’s (D-OR) amendment would create an Independence at Home Pilot Program to allow Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions to receive primary care in their homes.
In September the ANA introduced a new “Share Your Story” feature on its health care reform page. The new feature allows nurses from across the country to share their personal stories and experiences working in the American health care system and why we need meaningful reform now!
Once again, ANA put nurses in the center of health care reform with an ad posted in Capitol Hill newspapers. Roll Call, Politico and www.politico.com all featured this full page ad, calling on Congress to include the public option in health care reform. These newspapers and website are read not just by every Member of Congress and their staff but by health care industry lobbyists as well.
In September, New York joined 11 other states in having a staffing law when the Governor signed disclosure legislation. The new law requires health care facilities make available to the public, information on nurse staffing and patient outcomes as specified by the Health Commissioner in rules and regulations.
