In a letter to the president-elect, the American Nurses Association calls for an equitable health system that supports increased access to cost effective, high-quality care.
Joining the American Hospital Association, and America's Health Insurers among other groups, the American Nurses Association is calling on Donald Trump to make health a priority during his time in office.
"ANA is calling on you and your administration to prioritize the health of the nation, which is foundational to progress and economic growth," ANA president Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, wrote in a letter issued Dec. 5 to the president-elect.
The association, which has advocated for healthcare system reforms to improve access to high-quality care in the past, also detailed its principles for health system transformation in the letter.
The ANA calls for a standard package of health care services for all citizens and residents. The package would contain many features already in the Affordable Care Act, such as health insurance coverage despite pre-existing conditions, the ability of children to continue receiving health insurance coverage through their parents' plans until they are 26, and expansion of Medicaid.
A transformed health system would optimize primary, community-based, and preventive services that encourage patients to develop partnerships with their healthcare providers. In turn, primary healthcare would include preventative curative, and rehabilitative care coordinated by the healthcare team.
Healthcare costs would be reduced through effective use of care coordination services to improve outcomes.
The association also advocates for way to stimulate "economical" use of healthcare services while supporting those who don't have the means to share in costs through government-private sector partnerships, payment systems that reward quality and stewardship of resources, elimination of lifetime caps or annual limits on coverage, and federal income-based subsidies to assist individuals in purchasing insurance coverage.
A Call to Strengthen the Workforce
Finally, the ANA says there must be support for the development of a highly skilled healthcare workforce.
ANA calls for increased funding for programs and services focused on increasing the primary care workforce, increasing nursing faculty, and improving workforce diversity. Barriers and restrictions that prevent RNs and advanced practice registered nurses from making full contributions to patient care should be removed.
"ANA looks forward to working with you and your administration to address our nation's health care challenges. We look forward to sharing the expertise of nurses throughout your transition period and presidency to improve the health care system and the health of the nation," Cipriano wrote.
Jennifer Thew, RN, is the senior nursing editor at HealthLeaders.