FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 20, 2000
CONTACT:
Hope Hall, 202-651-7027
Connie Helmlinger, 202-651-7024
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ANA Applauds Funding For Health Care
Washington, DC -- The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds the Clinton Administration and Congress for approving a major, last-minute legislative package that will address many pressing health care needs. President Clinton is currently poised to sign the bill, the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 4577), which will increase funding for a number of key health care programs supported by the ANA. The long-awaited package contains three appropriations bills as well as $35 billion in new Medicare funding.
The package will help relieve the financial pressures on America's hospitals that have exacerbated the crisis in nurse staffing by increasing Medicare's hospital payments by $14 billion over five years. Medicare funding for skilled nursing facilities is increased by $1.6 billion, including a 16.7 percent increase in payments for nursing services.
ANA strongly supports this provision, which ties the increase in nursing facility payments to verifiable increases in nurse staffing ratios. ANA is extremely pleased that Congress and the White House have agreed to require nursing facilities to post, in a clearly visible place, a daily report on the number of licensed and unlicenced nursing staff directly responsible for resident care in the facility. ANA has long advocated the need to make staffing levels public.
"The ANA believes that nurse staffing in this country is a public health crisis," said ANA President Mary Foley, MS, RN. "Congress responded to our concerns. Now it is imperative that hospitals across the country respond by reinvesting in essential nursing services and addressing inadequate and inappropriate nurse staffing."
The Medicare home health benefit receives a much-needed $2 billion spending increase. The bill delays the scheduled 15 percent reduction in home health payments until 2002, restores a full payment update for inflation in 2001, and increases reimbursements to rural home health providers by 10 percent for two years.
The bill also contains changes to the current payment methodology of Community Nursing Organizations (CNOs) B nurse-operated programs serving Medicare beneficiaries in home and community-based settings B which will allow CNOs in New York and Illinois to remain in operation. However, these CNOs will be forced to modify their programs to stay in operation under the revised payment rate.
The package addresses advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) by requesting a Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) study on appropriateness of Medicare reimbursements for services provided by certified nurse midwives, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists. ANA will work with the GAO and MedPAC to ensure that the interests of APRNs are well represented.
Finally, ANA applauds Congress and the Administration for much needed funding increases in nursing education and research programs. Funding for the National Institute of Nursing Research was increased by 16.5 percent to $104.3 million in FY 2001. Nurse Education Act programs were increased by 16.6 percent to $76.5 million. The nurse loan repayment program was level funded at $2.2 million for FY 2001.
"Increased funding for nursing education is vital to the stability of the profession," said Foley. "Given our current concerns about adequate nurse staffing and educational preparation, funding for nursing education is necessary to ensure a strong nursing work force."
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The American Nurses Association is the only full-service professional organization representing the nation's 2.6 million Registered Nurses through its 54 constituent associations. ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.
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