In a bipartisan move by two lawmakers, the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act was introduced in the Senate July 20, according to a same-day news release put out by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
The legislation, which the AANP says will remove barriers to practice for NPs and improve access to care for patients — especially Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries — was introduced by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., and Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo.
The House of Representatives re-introduced the legislation in April after it failed to gain steam in the prior legislative session.
A group of almost 400 AANP members traveled to Washington, D.C., in mid-June to make sure their collective voice was heard by lawmakers.
"Every day, nurse practitioners are striving to meet our country's growing need for high-quality health care in all practice settings yet outdated federal barriers limit patient access to NP-provided care," Stephen Ferrara, DNP, president of AANP, said in the release. "This important legislation will move our nation's health care system toward one that more accurately reflects the modern health care workforce."