Legislative report – Summer 2013
The latest from national (last conference call was May 8, 2013):
Budget: According to Dave Mason (representative from Capitol Hill) there has been virtually no movement in this department and that it’s likely we may not hit the national debt ceiling until the fall which puts less pressure on a budget deal. This affects the funding for HHS.
Medicaid reform: The concept of “per capita caps” was proposed in May which would give the state greater authority to implement patient centered reforms. It would also allow for state specific block grants to cap federal spending based on a state’s average medical expenditures.
Medicaid primary care payment: “Enhanced Access to Medicaid Services Act” (S. 755) would expand Medicaid primary care payment to include services provided by neurologists, psychiatrists, and ob-gyns, however the bill does not include NPs nor go beyond 2014. (This bill may be unlikely to go anywhere).
The National Conference on Mental Health was held in June with several new commitments launched including:
-the National Parent Teach Association is partnering with the National Association of School Psychologist to host a webinar for their members regarding mental health awareness. This will help encourage parents to talk to their children about mental health.
-The National Association of Secondary School Principals has called for 25,000 members to hold an assembly on mental health awareness by the end of 2013
-Continuing education programs for school nurses provided by the Association of School Nurses
To find out more about the conference and other commitments visit: www.napnap.org/NAPNAPAdvocacy.aspx
HAWAII NEWS
Renewal of Prescriptive Authority: Chapter 89, Nurses (Proposed changes, February 7, 2013)
We will no longer be required to maintain a separate license for prescriptive authority and it will now become a “special privilege” under the APRN license. Renewal requirement is 30 hours of CE in current specialty area of which 8 hours will be in pharmacology, including pharmacotherapeutics related to the clinical practice specialty approved by the Board and taken within Jan 2012 – Dec 2013. Please visit www.hawaii.gov/dcca/pvl/ to see if anything has changed with your specific license.