Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 4/Issue 2 February 28, 2006
Article Photo ANA Co-hosts Briefing on Nurse Staffing as a Quality Indicator for America's Hospitals

On Thursday, February 23, the House Nursing Caucus and the American Nurses Association (ANA) sponsored a luncheon briefing for congressional health staff to highlight the importance of including nurse staffing as a quality indicator for America's hospitals.

Photo: Jerod M. Loeb, PhD, Executive VP Division of Research, JCAHO
President's Budget Focuses on Health Care

President Bush released his $2.77 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year (FY) 2007 on February 6, 2006. This proposal does not carry the weight of law or change current funding; instead it indicates the Administration's priorities and begins the FY 2007 appropriations debate. The 2007 fiscal year begins on October 1, 2006. As in previous years, the President proposes to cut funding for many domestic health care programs while increasing funding for defense and domestic security. In addition, the President proposes a number of health care policy initiatives.
ANA Responds to President's State of the Union: Calls for Health Care Reform

ANA participated in a press conference the morning after the President's State of the Union address (February 1) with House and Senate Democratic leaders. ANA joined Sen. Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Sen. Ted Kennedy (D-MA), Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA) in calling for meaningful health care reform. Isis Montalvo, RN, MBA, MS, ANA's Manager of Policy and Practice, spoke at the event, providing nursing's view of the growing health care crisis.

Deficit Reduction Act Changes Medicare Payments


The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), signed into law by President Bush on February 8, makes a number of changes and adjustments to the Medicare program. One of the key payment changes will impact advanced practice nurses who provide and bill for Medicare Part B services. The DRA overrode the 4.4 percent Part B practitioner payment reduction in the 2006 Medicare physician fee schedule that went into effect January 1, 2008. Due to extended Congressional consideration of the DRA at the end of 2005, the 4.4 percent cut was officially in effect from January 1 to February 8. The DRA said that physicians and other Part B providers would be paid at the same rate as in 2005.

State Legislation for Diabetic Students Concerns Nurses

Nurses and educators in Oklahoma, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Tennessee, Utah, and Rhode Island have safety concerns regarding proposed state legislation, developed by the American Diabetes Association, to provide support for diabetic students. The American Nurses Association (ANA) and State Nurses Associations are working with representatives from the National Association of School Nurses and the American Federation of Teachers to shape the legislation to ensure optimal care for diabetic students.
copyright 2006, American Nurses Association
For more information contact:
gova@ana.org
Reminder Deadline March 30 for Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program Applications

The Fiscal Year 2006 application for the Nurse Education Loan Repayment Program has been posted on the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Health and Human Services (HRSA/HHS) web site. This program repays up to 85 percent of an RN's outstanding student loans in return for full-time employment in a facility determined to have a critical nursing shortage. Such facilities include nursing homes, hospitals and departments of public health. The deadline to apply is March 30.
Kudos to the Maryland Nurses Association for their Work Related to Healthy Air Legislation

The Maryland Nurses Association recently received national media coverage on their work related to Healthy Air Legislation. According to a Harvard University study, pollution from six largest coal-burning power plants contribute to 700 deaths each year, including 100 deaths in Maryland. The study was sponsored by the Maryland Nurses Association, which supports a bill in the Maryland legislature that would require such plants to sharply reduce pollution over the next decade.
Requests for Nominations Advisory Panel on Medicare Education

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has published a request for nominations for individuals to serve on the Advisory Panel on Medicare Education. The panel advises the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the CMS Administrator on opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of consumer education materials serving the Medicare program. Deadline for nominations is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March 17.
Request for Nominations for Food and Drug Administration Advisory Committees

The Food and Drug Administration is requesting nominations for voting members with appropriate expertise to serve on the Allergenic Products Advisory Committee, Blood Products Advisory Committee, Cellular, Tissue and Gene Therapies Advisory Committee, Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies Advisory Committee, and the Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. Nominations will be accepted for vacancies that will or may occur through December 31, 2006.
Request for Nominations for Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability

The Office of Public Health and Science published a request in the February 23, 2006 Federal Register for nominations of qualified individuals to be considered for appointment to the Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability (ACBSA). The ACBSA provides advice and assistance, consults with, and makes recommendations on a broad range of policy issues related to the collection, preparation and distribution of blood and blood products. The ACBSA consists of 18 voting members. The Committee is composed of 12 public members, including the Chair, and six (6) representative members. This announcement is to solicit nominations of qualified candidates to fill positions on the ACBSA that are scheduled to be vacated in the public member category.