Change to State Law Necessary to Retain APRNs, Address Mental Health Workforce Shortage
By: Justin Cullers, APRN, PMHNP-BC In the wake of COVID and other world events, many of us are struggling emotionally, meaning the need...
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By the Texans for Healthcare Access Coalition.
Texans for Healthcare Access
Allow Advanced Practice Registered Nurses to care for Texans.
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The Issue
Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs) are masters or doctorate level health care providers who are subject to specific occupational licensing barriers which limit access to care for patients and drive up the cost of health care in Texas.
Texas has a critical shortage of primary care providers, with 437 Primary Care Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs) in urban, suburban, and rural areas across the state. APRNs are quality, cost-effective providers who can help address this shortage if Texas passes legislation to remove barriers standing in the way of APRNs and their patients.
The Problem
To practice in Texas, APRNs are required to enter into a contract, or what’s called a “delegation agreement,” with a physician. In many cases, the delegation is simply a physician's signature that says the APRN can practice. Some APRNs actually have to pay thousands of dollars a year for this agreement.
More states are opting to cut the red tape, eliminate delegation agreements, and give patients full and direct access to the quality care APRNs provide. Currently over half the country, all branches of the military, and the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs do not require these agreements. Meanwhile, lawmakers in New Mexico and Arizona are recruiting Texas-trained APRNs to their states, where APRNs face fewer regulatory burdens and lower practice costs.
The Solution
The Texans for Healthcare Access Coalition urges all Texas legislators to join us in supporting the HEAL Texans Act (SB 1700), which will keep more APRNs in Texas and remove the requirement for unnecessary, expensive, and many times unfair pay-to-play delegation agreements between APRNs and physicians. This is zero-risk, zero-cost solution that will put patients first, and ensure that more Texans can access the vital care they need.
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Thanks for your interest in the Coalition for Healthcare Access. For more information, feel free to get in touch. Send us a message to admin@texans4healthcareacess.org.
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