Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 4/Issue 7 August 31, 2006
Article Photo ANA Organizes Legislative Briefing on Need for Safer Chemicals Policy

The American Nurses Association (ANA) and the Tennessee Nurses Association (TNA) promoted ANA's Nationwide State Legislative Agenda on Safe Patient Handling and Safe Chemical Policy at the Annual Meeting of the National Conference of State Legislators (NCSL), August 14-18 in Nashville, Tennessee. NCSL is a bipartisan organization dedicated to serving the lawmakers and staff of the nation's states, commonwealths and territories.
ANA Supports Troops to Nurse Teachers

ANA has been working with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) to establish and fund a pilot project that would encourage retiring military nurses to pursue careers as nursing faculty. This "Troops to Nurse Teachers" (TNT) program is needed to help domestic schools of nursing expand their capacity in order to meet the growing demand for nursing services.
ANA Opposes POPs Legislation

This fall Congress is expected to consider proposed changes to two federal laws to improve the regulation of Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs). These changes were triggered by an international treaty that the United States actively negotiated and signed more that five years ago. The Stockholm Convention on POPs is a global response to a global problem. It was signed by 151 countries and has been ratified by more than 127 countries from every corner of the globe. Together these nations have pledged to phase-out a "dirty dozen" POPs chemicals and others that emerge from a scientific review process. The American Nurses Association has serious concerns related to the risks associated with POPs and their impact on the nation's health and is closely watching POPs legislation in Congress.
ANA Opposes the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act

On July 28, 2006 ANA sent a letter to every Member of the House of Representatives urging them to refrain from supporting the Healthcare Truth and Transparency Act (H.R. 5688). ANA asserts that this legislation is unwarranted and discriminatory (see related article July 2006 Capitol Update).

CMS to hold Town Hall Meeting for Medicare Providers

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced a town hall meeting to be held on September 20, 2006 in Baltimore, Maryland. The purpose of the meeting is to solicit the opinions of individual Medicare physicians, providers and suppliers on selected policies and operational issues that affect providers participating in Medicare.

copyright 2006, American Nurses Association
For more information contact:
gova@ana.org
ANA Launches Election 2006 Action Center

ANA's Election 2006 Action Center is now up and running! Let's make nurses' voices the difference in the mid-term elections! Get the information and tools you need to make sure nurses are a political force in 2006.

At the End of the Road...For Primaries That Is...

Nurses may be sad to hear that the primary season is almost over, but not to worry, the general election is right around the corner on Tuesday, November 7. However, before looking ahead to the mid-term elections, there are still a few primaries in September.
Angela Song Joins the ANA Government Affairs Staff

Hello! My name is Angela Song and I'm very proud to be the latest member to join the talented ANA Government Affairs staff as the new ANA-PAC Administrator. I look forward to working with you on PAC issues. Please contact me at Angela.Song@ana.org.
Ranks of the Uninsured Grew By 1.3 Million in 2005

On August 29, 2006, the U.S. Census Bureau released its annual report Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2005. According to the report, the number of people in the U.S. without health insurance grew from 45.3 million in 2004 to 46.6 million in 2005.

In addition, the report showed that the number for children without health insurance also increased from 7.9 to 8.3 million. With an uninsured rate of 19 percent in 2005, children in poverty were more likely to be insured than all children.