PageServer?pagename=CUP_Arch_113007_pol1
Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 5/Issue 10 November 30, 2007
Article Photo ANA Staffing Bill Reintroduced in the House

On November 9, Reps Lois Capps (D-CA) and Ginny Brown-Waite (R-FL) introduced H.R. 4138, the Registered Nurse Safe Staffing Act. Like its companion bill in the Senate, S. 73, H.R. 4138 would hold hospitals accountable for the development of valid, reliable unit-by-unit nurse staffing plans. These plans would be developed in coordination with direct-care registered nurses (RNs) and based on each unit's unique characteristics and needs. ANA needs your help to educate members of congress and build support for this important legislation.
House Fails to Override Veto of Health Funding; Future Remains Uncertain

Claiming that the bill spent too much, President Bush vetoed the FY 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bill on November 13. This bill contained an $18 million increase for the Title VIII nursing workforce development programs. Despite appeals for support of the bill, the House fell two votes short of the two-thirds majority needed to override the President's veto. Congress has approved a "Continuing Resolution" that will fund these programs at 2007 levels through December 14 as they work to advance FY 2008 appropriations for these and other programs.

AMA Defines Interventional Pain Management as Practice of Medicine; Debates Health Reform, Medicare At Interim Meeting

Meeting in Honolulu on November 10-13, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates adopted a resolution that the "interventional pain management of patients suffering from chronic pain constitutes the practice of medicine" -- and by inference, should not be conducted by certified nurse anesthetists or any health care providers other than physicians. The AMA delegates voted not to consider a late resolution to set guidelines for collaborative agreements with APRNs, and to review APRN education, training, quality of care, and physician oversight. In general, the major areas of interest to AMA delegates were health care reform - including caring for the uninsured, SCHIP and opposition to a single payer system; insufficient Medicare reimbursements to physicians; and limitations on physician practice by health insurers and hospitals.

Breaking the Cycle: Mandatory Overtime and Unsafe Staffing

750 registered nurses at Appalachian Regional Healthcare (ARH), a large hospital system with nine facilities in eastern Kentucky and West Virginia, have been on strike for several weeks. Reportedly the pay range for ARH nurses is $47,000 to $65,000 - far above the $39,000 median household income in Kentucky. In Appalachia, more than a quarter of the population lives below the federal poverty level. But the striking nurses say the dispute isn't about salaries. They say staffing levels are spread too thin and mandatory overtime has become the norm. Striking is not an option for many nurses. Therefore, some have requested the assistance of elected officials at the state and federal levels to protect patients through legislation or regulations requiring adequate nurse staffing. As ANA works with Congress to enact federal legislation to address issues of safe staffing and prohibition of mandatory overtime, many states have led the charge.
copyright 2005, American Nurses Association
For more information contact:
gova@ana.org
Tell a Friend about Capitol Update
manage newsletter subscription
visit archives
ANA's Presidential Endorsement Task Force Meets with Governor Bill Richardson

Believe it or not, the first election of the 2008 presidential primary campaign will be held in 34 days, with the Iowa Republican and Democratic Caucuses on January 3rd. As primary elections draw ever closer, ANA's Presidential Endorsement Task Force is working hard to determine which presidential candidate will best represent nurses while serving in the White House. The Task Force recently sat down with New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson (D) to discuss his presidential campaign.
ANA's Virtual Voting Booth - Coming Soon to a Computer Near You!

No matter where you turn these days, everyone seems to have an opinion on who will be our country's next President. Soon ANA members will have the opportunity to vote for the candidate they believe will be the strongest advocate for the nursing community while serving in the White House. ANA's Election 2008 Action Center will be home to the "virtual voting booth," an online poll that will give voice to the presidential candidate most preferred by nurses.

SCHIP Negotiations Stall

Negotiations between the bipartisan supporters of the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act and those House Republicans with concerns about the measure have stalled over several issues, including coverage for adults and coverage for higher-income children. Negotiations may resume when lawmakers return in early December from their two-week Thanksgiving break.
AHIC Recommends Mandatory E-Prescribing in Medicare

The advisory group known as America's Health Information Community (AHIC) unanimously recommended that e-prescribing become a Medicare mandate during a November 28 meeting conducted by telephone.
CMS Lists Poorest-Quality Nursing Homes on Web Site

On November 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released a list naming 54 nursing homes in the U.S. that continually fail to meet safety and quality-of-care standards in their states. The facilities are located in 33 states and the District of Columbia. The CMS news release on the list called it a "key tool for families seeking quality care."
CMA Presidents, Executive Directors and ANA Board of Directors raise $4,676 at Constituent Assembly

CMA Presidents, Executive Directors and ANA Board of Directors, raised $4,676 towards a goal of $5,000 for ANA-PAC at Constituent Assembly in October.