Opinion: Health insurance expansion looming, primary care turf battle heats up

Nurse practitioners are rolling out a campaign this week to explain what, exactly, nurse practitioners do—and why patients should trust them with their medical needs. Through advertisements, public service announcements and events, the organization will try to raise the profile of the country's 155,000 nurse practitioners. The campaign looks to exploit what many say is a looming doctor shortage. The Association of American Medical College predicts that the country will have 63,000 too few doctors as soon as 2015. The AANP will follow up on the public relations blitz with state-level lobbying efforts, looking to pass bills that will expand the range of medical procedures that their membership can perform.