Health Policy Agenda

The guiding principles of NAPNAP’s health policy agenda are:

  • All children should have access to comprehensive, continuous, family-centered coordinated, compassionate, and culturally sensitive care, including mental health services in order to ensure healthy lifestyles.
  • Barriers should be removed that impede patient access to care provided by advanced practice nurses who specialize in the care of pediatric patients across the continuum of health care. 
  • Increased commitment to national and grassroots advocacy by NAPNAP membership is essential and should be supported by providing learning opportunities for members to support their development as advocates.



NAPNAP’s Health Policy Committee has identified the following goals for focused advocacy and strategic partnerships to support NAPNAP’s mission and respond to important health policy issues:

Goal #1 - Improve child health through support and advocacy on the following issues:

  • Prevent childhood overweight and obesity through policies to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity levels.

  • Raise awareness of childhood mental health and emotional problems and advocate for increased access to mental health services.

  • Increase awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding.

  • Increase childhood immunization rates through improved access and education.

  • Promote oral health, dental caries screening and access to comprehensive pediatric dental health services.

  • Increase awareness of current issues surrounding the treatment and management of pediatric pain.

  • Encourage development of comprehensive quality health indicators focused on the care of children and families.

Goal #2 - Improve access to care for all children through support and advocacy on the following issues:

  • Advocate for the removal of insurance industry barriers that prevent families from obtaining affordable and comprehensive child health insurance coverage.

  • Advocate for optimal funding of Medicaid and CHIP programs.

  • Promote access to comprehensive primary, chronic, and acute care services for pediatric patients of all age groups.

Goal #3 - Promote access to pediatric Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists through support and direct advocacy on the following issues:

  • Recognizing nurse practitioners and other pediatric health care providers as primary care providers and leaders in new models of care such as accountable care organizations and primary health care homes.

  • Promoting increased funding for advanced practice registered nurse education and development of faculty.

  • Expanding coverage and seeking fiscally responsible reimbursement by governmental and commercial payers for services provided by advanced practice nurses.

  • Ensuring that advanced practice nurses caring for pediatric patients are permitted to participate in any federal grant programs aimed at piloting new models of care or increasing the use of health information technology, and electronic medical records.

  • Promoting access to pediatric advanced practice nurses, physicians, and other health care providers across the care continuum regardless of setting.