What Can You Do Before A Bill Becomes A Law?
by Cory Sorio, RN, MSN
Politics impact our lives more so than we realize! It is the crux that governs our personal and professional lives! Everyday politicians make decisions that dictate and regulate our employment, benefits, and provisions in the health care as consumers and providers. They have the authority to make the laws but do we have the power to impact a bill before it becomes a law? Yes! and WHAT CAN YOU DO?
- Participate in the federal decision-making process by communicating your political convictions to the legislative and executive branch officials. Write or call your legislators either to support or oppose a bill, or to urge that it accelerates through the law making process. The contacts you make with legislators and other officials provide an important input to the policy-making process. Also vote in the candidates that support the bills and contribute to their campaigns either by signing petitions or lobbying.
- BE AWARE! Read, monitor, listen or watch the media for information that affects health care and other political issues.
- Express your nursing views in the papers, nursing magazines, or radio talk shows. Stand for your convictions.
- Support the ANA-PAC (American Nurses Association Political Action Committee) through membership and financial contribution.
The following are laws that have been passed recently:
- Public Law 105-33, enacted on August 5, 1997, provides Medicare beneficiaries access to the services of NPs and CNSs. As a result of this new law, the services of nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, regardless of practice or geographic setting, are eligible for coverage and direct payment starting January 1, 1998. It is the result of almost eight years of work by the ANA.
An additional key provision to PL 105-33 is the reauthorization of the Community Nursing Organization (CNO) demonstration project for two years through December 31, 1999. CNOs are nurse managed programs that offer a package of Medicare benefits to the elderly in non-institutional settings.
- The Nurse Education Act - This supports graduate level nursing programs and funds nurse-managed clinics affiliated with university schools of nursing. In February 1997, the Clinton administration proposed cutting this funding by almost 90%. Nurses across the nation flooded the Congress with calls to keep adequate funding in place, and Congress responded by funding the program for fiscal year 1998 at $65.6 million, an increase over the previous year's funding of $65.3 million.
- Comprehensive Telehealth Act of 1997 - Allows for the provision of telehealth services across state lines by licensed health care providers. This will increase access to health care services, education and information; foster clinical, educational and administrative efficacy and cost effectiveness; and improve quality of services delivered.
The following is an active ANA priority issue:
- (HR 1165). The Patient Safety Act of 1997: It has three key provisions involving issues of information. It requires hospitals to report staffing levels and quality indicators to consumers. It advocates protection from retribution when nurses report or voice concern about poor staffing and other unsafe practices. It provides mechanisms for federal oversight of all health care mergers and acquisitions to ensure that patient care needs and accessibility of service are not disrupted.
The following are active MONA priority issues:
- House Bill 964 - Health Insurance. Sponsor: Rep. Joan Barry. This bill requires any health insurance plan to provide coverage for services rendered or ordered by an advanced practice nurse or a registered nurse first assistant. It also includes registered physician assistants and certified surgical tech first assistants. Currently some insurers do and some don't. The requirement takes effect January 1, 1999.
- HB 1125 – Registered Nurse First Assistants. Sponsor: Rep. Joan Barry. This
bill requires the nursing
board to promulgate rules specifying which nursing certificates will be
recognized as eligible for practice as
registered nurse first assistants working in hospitals and ambulatory surgical
centers. This was amended in to
HB 964.
- HB 1070 - Insurance Coverage for Mastectomy. Sponsor: Rep. Joan Barry. This
bill requires a health
insurance plan with mastectomy coverage to provide for a minimum 48-hour
hospital stay following the
procedure and a minimum 72-hour stay when there is an immediate or concurrent
reconstructive surgery.
This was combined with HB 1315 (cancer screening), and was already sent to the
Senate Floor.
- SCS/SB 632 – “Kids Care” Health Insurance.
Sponsor: Sen. Ed Quirk. This bill expands health care
coverage to include uninsured children under the age of 19 with available
family incomes up to three times
the federal poverty level. Uninsured children are de
fined as children having no access to private health insurance for six months
prior to application. Covered
children must be residents of Missouri.
Lack of representation is not the issue since there’s around 2 . 6
million of us ( registered nurses) in
the United States. We know that we can make a difference, the
question is, will you act to make a difference? We need
political vigilance in order to ensure that our laws
continue to secure and promote our nursing practice as well as to
protect the public that we serve.
Who Do You Call Or Write? |
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The HONORABLE (first and last name)
US House of Representatives
Washington DC 20515
US Senate
Washington DC 20510
President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington DC 20500
Senator Christopher Bond
274 Russel Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
Web: www.senate.gov/~bond
Senator John Ashcroft
316 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington DC 21510
Phone: (202) 224-6154
Hon. Karen McCarthy
1232 Longworth
Washington DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4535
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Hon. Pat Dunner
1207 Longworth
Washington DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-7041
Missouri Congress:
Senator Harry Wiggins
State Capitol Building.Rm.423
Jefferson City,Mo.65101 Phone: (573) 751-2788
Sen. Ronnie de Pasco
State Capitol Building Room 321
Jefferson City, Mo. 65101 Phone :(573) 751-3074
Representative Tim Van Zandt
201 West Capitol Avenue Room 400 CB
Jefferson, City Mo. 65101 Phone: (573) 751-5282
Representative Marsha Campbell
201 West Capitol Avenue Room 405 B
Jefferson City,Mo 65101 Phone:(573) 751 4485
e-mail: campb01@services.state.mo.us
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