Public Health Emergency ANA Impact Survey
March 24, 2023
The Public Health Emergency (PHE) that was activated at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic will end on May 11, 2023. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 extended many of the telehealth flexibilities authorized during the PHE through 2024. Waivers which allowed Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) to practice to the full scope of their license are slated to expire May 11, 2023.
ANA continues to advocate to members of Congress, the White House, and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to take action to extend these waivers which have benefited vulnerable patients who struggle to access healthcare.
WHAT CAN NURSES DO?
ANA has a short form at https://p2a.co/F3ws0UF , and encourages Nurses to share how these waivers have helped patients gain access to the care they would not have otherwise received.
ANA will use these stories to communicate with policymakers the reasons these waivers need to be made permanent, and the negative consequences for patients should the waivers be allowed to expire. Nurses' voices are critical, as we cannot allow our nation’s health care to go backward.
Below are the expiring waivers of most concern:
- Physician Services. 42 CFR §482.12(c)(1)–(2) and §482.12(c)(4): Waiving requirements that Medicare patients admitted to a hospital be under the care of a physician, allowing APRNs to practice to the top of their licensure, and authorizing hospitals to optimize their workforce strategies.
- Responsibilities of Physicians in Critical Access Hospitals (CAHs). 42 CFR § 485.631(b)(2): Making the physician physical presence waiver permanent allows certain APRNs in CAHs to practice to the full extent of their education, clinical training and licensure; and enables the entire health care team to practice to its fullest capacity in provider shortage areas.
- Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) and Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs): Physician Supervision of NPs in RHCs and FQHCs. 42 CFR 491.8(b)(1): Waiving the physician supervision of NPs in RHCs and FQHCs has provided workforce flexibility in rural and underserved communities where provider shortages have increased the most.
- Anesthesia Services. 42 CFR §482.52(a)(5), §485.639(c) (2), and §416.42 (b)(2): Allowing certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNA), in accordance with a state emergency plan, to practice to the full extent of their license by permanently extending the CMS waiver removing physician supervision as a Condition of Participation.
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Upcoming CNA Events & Meetings
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Rural Provider Access and Affordability Stimulus Grant Program - Application is Open
March 14, 2023
The Department of Health Care Policy & Financing (the Department) is pleased to announce the application process for the Rural Provider Access and Affordability Stimulus Grant Program authorized by Senate Bill (SB) 22-200.
See below for background information and the application process including important due dates. Rural hospitals that plan to apply must submit an intent to apply by March 24, 2023, with applications due by May 8, 2023.
Overview
The Department has released its application, seeking to offer funds to Qualified Rural Providers for their use to implement one-time initiatives to improve access and the affordability of health care in rural areas of the state. This grant program, established by SB22-200 and funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), Public Law 117-2 and pursuant to C.R.S. § 25.5-1-207 and 10 CCR 2505-10, Section 8.8000, provides qualified rural providers in financial need with funds to implement projects that increase affordability and projects to expand access to care in rural areas including through expanded behavioral health services, specialty care, telemedicine, replacement equipment, and facility upgrades.
The authorizing legislation provides $9.6 million in grant funds for rural hospitals to implement one-time initiatives to improve access and affordability of health care in rural areas of Colorado; however, the amount available for individual awards will not exceed $650,000 per project.
The application has been informed by an advisory committee of diverse and expert rural Colorado stakeholders who advised the Department on all aspects of the application and related regulation including rural hospital eligibility criteria, grant application requirements, and operational structure for the grant program.
All applicants should notify the Department of their intent to submit an application for this grant program. Submit a brief e-mail notification to [email protected] no later than March 23, 2023.
Applicants have until May 8, 2023, to submit an application. All applications must be received by the Department by this date. No applications will be accepted after the stated due date and time.
Application and Related Resources
The application requires that each submission include the following information:
Detailed instructions are provided in the application materials, including information regarding the evaluation criteria that will be used by reviewers when scoring each proposal.
Note, per the implementing regulation, certain rural providers are qualified to apply for these funds without additional financial information. These providers are listed here: Rural Providers Qualified with no Additional Financial Data Needed.
For questions regarding the application, please contact: [email protected]email inbox for questions, however, please consider attending the upcoming information session to learn more about the program.
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Chair Sanders, Ranking Member Cassidy Seek Information from Health Care Providers on Workforce Shortage
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.), ranking member of the HELP Committee, requested input from health care providers and stakeholders on the root causes of the current health care workforce shortage and potential ways to address it. Using the input they receive, the senators hope to identify bipartisan solutions that can be included in future legislation.
On February 16th, the HELP Committee held a hearing entitled “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?” In his opening statement, Cassidy emphasized the importance of increasing educational opportunities for health care providers and other possible solutions that could help address the workforce shortage issue.
According to the American Hospital Association, the United States will face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033, and will need to hire 200,000 nurses per year to meet demand.
Read the full request here or below.
To Health Care Stakeholders:
On February 16, 2023, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, Pensions held a hearing “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go From Here?” The hearing aimed to understand the root causes of our current health care workforce shortages, and explore potential legislative solutions. During the hearing, we heard from the perspectives of medical and nursing colleges, a health system, and a health care economist.
Now the Committee would like to request input from all stakeholders to best understand your views on the drivers of health care workforce shortages and hear your ideas on potential solutions.
This year, we intend to identify bipartisan solutions to remedy our nation’s health care workforce shortages and develop these ideas into legislation.
Please submit your written response to [email protected] by March 20, 2023.
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