Capitol Update, brought to you by the American Nurses Association
Capitol Update, a legislative newsletter for nurses
Volume 1 | Issue 6 December 8, 2003
Article Photo Congress Passes ANA-Opposed Medicare Bill: Democrats Predict Senior Backlash
In a flurry of last-minute activity, Congress recently passed a bill opposed by ANA that would enact the largest changes to the Medicare program since its inception 38 years ago. The Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003 (H.R. 1) passed the House in the early morning hours of Saturday November, 22, and was approved by the Senate on November 25.
House and Senate Agree to $30 million Increase for Nursing Workforce Development
House and Senate negotiators released a summary of their conference agreement on the FY 2004 Omnibus Appropriations Act on November 25, 2003. In a victory for nursing, the conference agreement includes a $30 million increase in FY 2004 funding for the nurse education, recruitment, and retention programs administered by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-- including the new programs authorized by the Nurse Reinvestment Act. This brings total FY 2004 funding for Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act to $143 million.
White House Beats Back Congress' Attempt to Protect Overtime Pay
The White House is claiming victory over Congressional attempts to block overtime pay for millions of Americans including nurses. On November 21, Congress ended a stalemate between the White House and lawmakers by removing an amendment from the Fiscal Year 2004 Labor-HHS spending bill (LHHS) (H.R. 2660) that would have protected nurses and other workers from proposed new U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) regulations that would strip many of eligibility for overtime pay.

Final Rule for Physician Fee Schedule for 2004
A final rule for the Physician Fee Schedule for 2004 was published in the Federal Register on November 7, 2003 and is scheduled to go into effect on January 1, 2004.
CMS Home Health Compare Web Site
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has initiated a new web site designed for consumers called Home Health Compare. The new web site will provide data about home health quality measures at home health agencies across the country. It will use data that home health agencies already report to CMS through the Outcomes and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) to compare agencies in the states.

Outcome of Washington State Ballot Initiative, I-841
Washington regulations that encouraged employers to make workplaces safer were repealed by ballot initiative, I-841 in November of this year. The passage of this initiative has eliminated the implementation of a cutting edge ergonomic safety standard, and prevents the state Department of Labor and Industries from writing another.
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The Race for the White House 2004
With Election Day 2004 less than a year away, and the Iowa Caucuses and the New Hampshire Primary coming up in a little over a month, the Presidential Race is really beginning to heat up. Democratic candidates are vying for the nomination, and President Bush is working to raise money for his re-election bid. While many nurses may not have had time to study the latest polls or compare candidate healthcare plans, ANA is working hard on your behalf to track the progress of the competition for the Democratic nomination, and to learn as much as possible about all the candidateýÿs positions on nursing and healthcare issues.

Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program
The Robert Wood Johnson Executive Nurse Fellows Program has issued its 2004 Call for Applications. This is an advanced leadership program for nurses in senior executive roles in nursing education, health services, and public health who aspire to lead and shape the U.S. health care system of the future.
ANA Attends Council of State Governments Annual Meeting
ANA attended the the Council of State Governments' (CSG) Annual State Trends and Leadership Forum, which was held October 23-26 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The work of the conference consisted of taskforce meetings and educational sessions. The American Nurses Association is an associate member of CSG and has a seat on the Health Capacity Task Force (Task Force).
Paid Feeding Assistant Rule Update
October 27 marked the effective date for CMS' paid feeding assistant regulation--but nursing homes shouldn't celebrate just yet. Now, states must choose whether to approve the rule, permitting assistants who have successfully completed an eight-hour training course to aid residents with eating and drinking.
Influenza Rates in Health Care Workers
On November 10, 2003 in Washington, DC, the ANA participated in a meeting held by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) titled, "Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Health Care Workers."
Future Initiatives for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
On November 6-7, 2003 in Atlanta, the ANA participated in a meeting convened by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (CDC/ATSDR) for their "Futures Initiative."
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