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Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 4/Issue 1 January 26, 2006
Article Photo Last Chance to Urge the House to Reject Medicaid Cuts

Contact your member of the House of Representatives today to urge them to reject the draconian Medicaid cuts contained in the budget reconciliation bill. The bill passed by the U.S. Senate on December 21, 2005 (S. 1932), contained some slight changes and must be voted on again in the House of Representatives. The bill contains $5.6 billion in gross Medicaid cuts over five years, and $22.6 billion over ten. The majority of these cuts will fall directly on vulnerable Medicaid beneficiaries. Disturbingly, the Congressional Budget Office plainly states that 80 percent of these savings will result from Medicaid beneficiaries forgoing needed care. The conference agreement also contains $6.1 billion in benefit reductions over ten years, and an additional $6.4 billion in reduced payments for long term care. The House vote will take place on February 1, 2006: do not delay in contacting your Representative!
Congress Waits Until Last Moment to Finish Appropriations

Late in the evening on December 21, 2005, the Senate approved final Fiscal Year 2006 (FY 2006) funding for nursing recruitment, education and retention programs. The FY 2006 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act was signed into law (P.L. 109-149) on December 30, 2005. In the end, the nursing workforce development (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) programs administered by Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) were cut by $1 million (0.7 percent), bringing total FY 2006 funding to $150 million.
Registered Nurse Safe Staffing : 2005 Review and 2006 Prospects

Get caught up on the status of safe RN safe staffing legislation as we enter the New Year.
2005 Review and 2006 Prospects: Mandatory Overtime

Get caught up on the status of Mandatory Overtime legislation as we enter the New Year.
Medicaid Reimbursement for Advance Practice Registered Nurses

Get an overview of the status of the Medicaid Reimbursement for Advanced Practice Registered Nurses legislation in the 109th Congress.
Nursing Home Staffing: 2005 Review and 2006 Prospects

Get an update on the status of nursing home staffing legislation in the 109th Congress
Association Health Plans: 2005 Review and 2006 Prospects

Get an overview of the status of association health plan (AHP) legislation in the 109th Congress and learn about the potential impact of AHPs on advanced practice registered nurses.

FDA Revises Drug Labeling for Health Care Providers

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on January 18 revisions in labeling requirements for new drugs and those approved in the last five years. Manufacturers of older drugs may voluntarily adopt the changes unless there has been a major change in the drug such as FDA approval for a new use. The revisions are designed to make it easier for health care providers to access, read and use information in prescription drug labeling.

2005 State Legislative Wrapup

Working collaboratively on a Nationwide State Legislative Agenda and other issues, the American Nurses Association and the State Nurses Associations not only increase awareness of nursing and health care issues for policy makers but also serve as leaders in providing solutions. These legislative and regulatory remedies have increased nurses' power in the workplace, with the ultimate goal of protecting both nurses and their patients. With state legislative programs located in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, coordinated with a strong federal legislative, PAC and grassroots program, ANA and the State Nurses Associations are uniquely positioned to effectively influence state and federal health care policy.
copyright 2006, American Nurses Association
For more information contact:
gova@ana.org
House Races to Watch in 2006

With incumbents, challengers, fundraisers and political junkies anxiously waiting to review the year end financial reports, we thought that we would give you a sneak peek at races to watch in 2006..just to hold you over until those FEC reports are released in February!
2006 Primary Elections Starting in March

With many people still writing 2005 on their checks, myself included, it's hard to believe that the 2006 elections are right around the corner. With less than 300 days and counting, do you know when the primary election is held in your state? From now until the general election on November 7, Capitol Update will list upcoming primary election dates, voter registration deadlines and primary highlights. The first two primaries in 2006 are Texas and Illinois.

GAO Report Identifies Continuing Problems With Nursing Home Surveys

A report released January 17 by the Government Accountability Office identifies a number of problems with the system of nursing home surveys which are carried out to assess compliance with federal and safety requirements. Inconsistency in how states conduct surveys and the understatement of serious quality problems were reported as continuing issues.
Preliminary Results of 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses

The most recent National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) reveals that the number of licensed RNs living and working in the United States increased nearly 8 percent since 2000 to 2,909,467. These results are part of the nationýÿs most extensive and comprehensive source of statistics on RNs released every four years by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA).
Citizens' Health Care Working Group Reminder

The Congress has created a national forum to elicit citizensýÿ thoughts about how we should reform America's health care system. (See October 7, 2005 Capitol Update) And the voices of nurses need to be heard!
ANA Speaks Out at Senate Flu Vaccine Press Conference

Nancy Hughes, MS, RN, the Director of Occupational Health and Safety at ANA participated in a Senate press conference on December 21, 2005, to oppose the inclusion of liability protections for pandemic flu vaccine manufacturers on the Department of Defense Appropriations Act. The press conference included Senators Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Tom Harkin (D-IA), and Chris Dodd (D-CT). ANA opposes this flu measure because it provides inadequate protections for health care workers and the general public.
Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program Applications Due by March 30

The FY 2006 application for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program was posted on the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) website on Jan. 25. Applications are due by March 30.