The American Nurses Association wants the federal government to require insurers selling plans on state insurance exchanges to have at least a certain percentage of advanced practice registered nurses in their provider networks.
The ANA proposed the minimum level would be equal to 10% of the number of APRNs who independently bill Medicare Part B in a state. The ANA and other nurse advocates have grown frustrated, saying they've been excluded by lawmakers when it came to the ACA. They say restrictive scope of practice laws—which vary by state and are supported by many state medical societies—prevent APRNs from practicing to the full capacity of their training.
APRNs include nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists and certified nurse-midwives.