2 New Federal Bipartisan Bills Would Grant Nurse Practitioners More Practice Authority

'Commonsense' legislation expands treatment options, one bill sponsor says.

Two new pieces of bipartisan legislation would give nurse practitioners (NPs) a “huge step forward,” in removing barriers to healthcare, says their national organization’s president.

“These are two big pieces of legislation that have just come out, and that is very exciting for patients everywhere,” said April Kapu, DNP, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCM, FAAN, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Workers’ comp

The first would authorize NPs to certify federal workplace injuries and oversee treatment of injured workers.

Though federal employees can choose an NP as their healthcare provider under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, current law prohibits federal workers from being treated by NPs or physician associates/physician assistants (PAs) for workplace-related injuries.

The Improving Access to Workers’ Compensation for Injured Federal Workers Act would amend the Federal Employees Compensation Act to allow injured workers to receive treatment for work-related injuries from state-licensed NPs and PAs.

The legislation was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives by Sens. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Reps. Tim Walberg (R-Mich.) and Joe Courtney (D-Conn.).

“This commonsense bill would expand much-needed treatment options,” Walberg said. “Across the country, nurse practitioners and physician assistants provide critical care, especially in rural and underserved communities where there may not be a physician within a reasonable distance. Current federal law imposes an additional burden on federal employees who may have to travel great distances to receive care from an approved provider.”

Shoes for diabetics

The second newly introduced legislation would authorize NPs to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes.

Under the Medicare program, NPs are authorized to be reimbursed for the treatment of patients with diabetes, yet they are not authorized to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes.

The Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act would authorize NPs to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes.

The legislation was introduced in both the Senate and House by Sens. Brown and Collins, along with Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Darin LaHood (R-Ill.).

“Therapeutic shoes are a proven method for preventing costly and painful complications related to diabetes, yet current Medicare regulations force patients to endure a time-consuming process to obtain them,” said Collins, founder and co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus. “Our bipartisan legislation would allow nurse practitioners and physician assistants to certify their patients’ need for this important treatment method.”

This legislation streamlines healthcare delivery, ensuring that patients with diabetes receive the care they need when they need it from their provider of choice, Kapu said.

“Requiring a physician to certify that a patient requires diabetic shoes—after the patient’s NP has already made that determination—leads to delays in treatment and increases costs to the Medicare program by requiring the participation of an additional provider,” Kapu said.