Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 4/Issue 6 July 28, 2006
Article Photo ANA Working to Make Our Chemicals Safer

In July, 2006, ANA hosted a landmark meeting of representatives from ANA and Constituent Member Associations and leaders of state and national environmental health organizations. The group, pictured at left, mapped out strategies for working together toward the common goal of chemicals policy reform.
ANA Continues Respiratory Protection Advocacy

ANA has been working on many fronts to support mandatory respiratory protections for nurses at risk for infection by airborne biohazards. ANA's recent efforts are directed toward implementing the annual fit-test requirements for respirators used to protect nurses and other health care workers and ANA is also working to impact the federal planning for pandemic/avian flu. As we work to educate Members of Congress about the need to support a higher level of protection, we need your help in demonstrating the real-world impact of these federal policies.
Neither House nor Senate Invests in Nursing

ANA is seeking an increase of $25 million in FY 2007 funding for the Nursing Workforce Development programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). These programs, authorized by Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, are the primary means of federal funding for nursing recruitment, education, and retention. If obtained, this $25 million increase would bring FY 2007 funding for Title VIII to $175 million. ANA's funding request was supported by a bipartisan group of 156 Members of the House of Representatives, and 52 Senators.
Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act of 2006

On June 27, Representatives John Sullivan (R-OK), Charlie Bass (R-NH), Michael Bilirakis (R-FL), Michael Burgess, MD (R-TX), Joe Schwarz, MD (R-MI), and Pete Sessions (R-TX) introduced the Healthcare Truth and Transparency act of 2006 (H.R. 5688). This is the first federal legislation resulting from the AMA efforts to limit scopes of practice of many health care providers.

ANA Comments on CMS Proposal to Revise DRGs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' ( CMS) proposed rule for inpatient hospital payment rates for Fiscal Year 2007 included proposals to refine the diagnosis related group (DRG) system by factoring in patient acuity to better recognize severity of illness among patients. CMS is proposing to use a hospital specific relative value cost center weighting methodology to adjust DRG relative weights in 2008 (or earlier) to implement consolidated severity adjusted DRGs or some alternative severity adjustment method. ANA has submitted comments to CMS urging the agency to make changes to the DRG system that would recognize that nursing care has an independent clinical and cost effective relationship to patient outcomes and has recommended that nursing services should be designated as a separate cost center rather than being included as part of the flat hospital room rate.

State Legislative Roundup

Working collaboratively on the American Nurses Association's State Legislative Agenda, environmental projects and other issues, ANA and its Constituent Member Associations have not only increased the awareness of nursing and health care issues for policy makers but have also provided the leadership in providing solutions. So far in 2006, state legislation has addressed a number of key health care issues.
copyright 2006, American Nurses Association
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ANA-PAC's Endorsement Process

With less than 4 months until the November election, ANA's Government Affairs team want to make sure our members know the details about ANA-PAC's endorsement process.
Less Than 3 Months And Counting...the General Election is on November 7, But Do You Know When the Primary Election is Held in Your State?

Although a number of primaries have come and gone since March, there are still a number of states who are holding primaries before the general election in November.
PAC Endorses Candidates In Tight Primary Races

Each election cycle, ANA-PAC endorses candidates with proven records as advocates for nursing and healthcare. In 2004, ANA-PAC endorsed 99 candidates for Federal Office -- this endorsement represents the ANA's highest seal of approval. ANA-PAC has endorsed a number of candidates for the 2006 mid-term elections, who are involved in tight primary races over the next few weeks.

ANA Responds to Challenges to Scope of Practice

The American Medical Association (AMA) along with a number of aligned physician groups have recently ratchet up efforts to limit the ability of licensed health care professionals to provide care to millions of patients. Promising to concentrate the resources of organized medicine to oppose scope of practice expansions and working through the AMA led Scope of Practice Partnership; various physician groups are now taking on a more active role to restrict the practice of health care professionals who are not physicians (MDs/DOs). (See Legislative Update re H.R. 5688). ANA has responded by to this new challenge by spearheading efforts to establish the Coalition for Patients Rights.
CMS Proposes Increases for E&M Codes

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed, in a June 29, Federal Register notice, to increase the work relative values for evaluation and management codes for Fiscal Year 2007. This will result in a boost in payment rates for those codes which are commonly used by Medicare Part B care providers including advanced practice registered nurses. ANA represented nursing by participating with a group of medical specialty organizations to develop the data and rationale to increase the work value of the E/M codes. This work is part of ANA's advocacy efforts on behalf of nurses with the AMA's Relative Value Update Committee (RUC) which advises CMS on Medicare reimbursement issues. Special kudos go to all the APRNs who participated in the E/M survey process last summer in our effort to add nursing data to the five year review of these codes.
Expected NLRB Ruling Could Jeopardize Nurses' Ability to Join Unions

This summer, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected render decisions in three cases collectively called "Kentucky River," that could strip nurses and other workers of their right to form unions.