Nursing Organizations Urge President Trump, Congress to Make High-Quality, Affordable Health Care Access a Top Reform Priority

Patient-centered Reforms Should Ensure Patients Access to Provider of Choice

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American Association of Nurse Practitioners

Feb 14, 2017, 13:16 ET

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- America's leading nursing organizations and the over 3.5 million nurses they represent, today called on the Trump Administration and Congress to prioritize patient health and the patient-provider relationship in any health reform proposals.

As lawmakers consider legislation to repeal, replace or fundamentally alter the Affordable Care Act, nursing organizations affirmed their shared commitment to advancing patient-centered health care and health care policies that reflect the following:

Ensure patients access to health care with affordable coverage options, regardless of their preexisting conditions;
Uphold the principles of including essential health benefits, including providing patients with access to ambulatory care, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health services and addiction treatment, prescription drugs, rehabilitative services and devices, laboratory services, preventive services, wellness services and chronic disease management, and pediatric services;
Protect patients' access to receive health care delivered by the provider of their choice, including advanced practice registered nurses, which include, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, midwives and nurse anesthetists, and ensure this care is covered by their insurer;
Maintain the nation's commitment to strengthen its health care workforce;
Create greater efficiency in the Medicare system by retiring barriers to practice and eliminate duplication of health care providers' efforts.

We firmly believe that our shared commitment to patient-centered health care will advance the best interests of patients and the health of our nation.

Academy of Neonatal Nursing
American Academy of Nursing
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
American Association of Critical-Care Nurses
American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
American Association of Nurse Practitioners
American Association of Occupational Health Nurses
American College of Nurse-Midwives
American Holistic Nurses Association
American Nephrology Nurses' Association
American Nurses Association
American Organization of Nurse Executives
American Pediatric Surgical Nurses Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Society for Pain Management Nursing
American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition
Association of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Nurses
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Association of Public Health Nurses
Association of Rehabilitation Nurses
Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses
Emergency Nurses Association
Hospice and Palliative Nurses Association
Infusion Nurses Society
International Association of Forensic Nurses
National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists
National Association of Neonatal Nurses
National Association of Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Nurses
National Council of State Boards of Nursing
National Forum of State Nursing Workforce Centers
National League for Nursing
National Student Nurses Association
Oncology Nursing Society
Organization for Associate Degree Nursing
Rheumatology Nurses Society
Society of Pediatric Nurses
The National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties