The American Nurses Association (ANA) supports the Obama Administration's 2011 proposed budget that generally maintains previous funding levels for registered nursing programs. But the Visiting Nurse Associations of America (VNAA) says that "serious concerns remain" about possible budget cuts that could significantly impact home health.
Even the ANA, which praised the president's resolve to strengthen nursing programs, acknowledges most of the funding is not ideal.
"Obviously we would have loved to see an increase in funding," says Rachel M. Conant, associate director, department of government affairs, for the American Nurses Association, which represents 2.9 million registered nurses. "But with this economy, a lot of programs remained flat, and we're very fortunate. And I'm happy there is a commitment to nurse education funding."
The administration plans to spend $244 million toward the recruitment, education, and retention of 20,000 nursing students and registered nurses. The ANA said in a statement that the budget proposal "clearly demonstrates [the President's] continued commitment to strengthen the nursing workforce and improving access to health services."
If implemented, the new budget would channel funds toward "recruiting student nurses, training, and different workforce development programs for comprehensive education," Conant says.
Nursing is confronting a shortage among staff as well as faculty, which are needed for nursing instruction, Conant says. Nursing school enrollment and graduation surveys increased enrollments in bachelor's programs over the past year. Yet more than 40,000 qualified applications were turned away in 2009 because of faculty shortages, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).
AACN officials applauded the administration's decision to keep level fund the Nursing Workforce Development Programs (Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act) despite federal budget constraints.
The decision represents a 3% increase for the National Institute of Nursing Research, which would "advance nursing science and help to translate its initiatives for improved quality patient care," AACN president Fay Raines said in a prepared statement.
"President Obama has demonstrated a continued dedication to nursing education and research at a time when the economic reality adds significance to even the smallest increases," Raines said.
VNAA, however, stated in a press release that "serious concerns remain" about how much Medicare home health and hospice will be cut to achieve $150 billion in assumed savings over 10 years as outlined in the Obama budget proposal.
Andy Carter, VNAA president and CEO, said in a press release it is difficult to determine from the Obama plan how the administration expects to achieve those savings, adding that Medicare home health care cuts proposed in Congress range from $39 billion to $57 billion.
"We are extremely disappointed again with the high level of home health and hospice cuts assumed in the President's proposed budget," said Carter. "While we await details, all we can do now is continue fighting for a more moderate approach to these across-the-board cuts that threaten access to home healthcare, especially for vulnerable low-income, high-complexity patients served by nonprofit providers."
Carter added, however, that he was encouraged by proposals in the budget to strengthen Medicare anti-fraud actions.
Despite other issues in the budget, there is one area of nursing that would get a funding increase, Conant says. The White House budget includes $169 million—an increase of $27 million above the 2010 budget—for the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The program is designed to deliver primary health providers, which includes nurse practitioners, to underserved areas. In exchange, these nurses would receive a portion of their student loans paid off.
The funding increase would add 400 NHSC clinicians to the more than 8,100 people currently in the program, she says. The program is designed to provide essential primary and preventative care services in healthcare facilities across the country.
Joe Cantlupe is a senior editor with HealthLeaders Media Online.
