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APNA Advocacy

APNA actively supports health care reform. To do so, we work with and through a number of coalitions. Please explore the links below to learn how we are involved.

Issue Statements

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

Coalitions

2019
5/14 Nursing Community Coalition Thanks Members of the House for Introducing the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act. This legislation recognizes nurses who served as members of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II and provides them with honorable discharges, medal privileges, and veteran burial benefits.	5/14 Nursing Community Coalition Thanks Members of the Senate for Introducing the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act. This legislation recognizes nurses who served as members of the United States Cadet Nurse Corps during World War II and provides them with honorable discharges, medal privileges, and veteran burial benefits.

1/25 Letter to CMS expressing concerns regarding the proposed changes to the protected classes policy in the proposed rule: Modernizing Part D and Medicare Advantage to Lower Drug Prices and Reduce Out-of-Pocket Expenses (CMS-4180-P) sent to Administrator Verma.	3/1 Letter in Response to Chairman Alexander’s Request to Address Affordability Within the U.S. Health Care System including Strengthening Parity Enforcement and Compliance at the Federal and State Levels;Stabilizing the Health Insurance Marketplace; and Behavioral Health Integration.	3/12 Letter to Chairwoman DeLauro and Ranking Member Cole outlining the funding requests levels of $266 million for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $173 million for the National Institute of Nursing Research for FY 2020.


2018
11/18 Letter requesting the Senate pass the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Reauthorization Act this Congress. Sent to Senators Alexander and Murray.


10/18 Letter thanking appropriators for providing level funding ($249.472 million) for the Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and $162.992 million (a 3.16% increase) for the National Institute of Nursing Research. Sent to Senators Shelby and Leahy and Representatives Frelinghuysen and Lowey.	10/18 Letter thanking Congressional Leadership for efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package, sent to Senators McConnell and Schumer and Representatives Ryan and Pelosi.	10/18 Letter thanking House Committee for efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package, sent to Representatives Walden, Brady, Pallone and Neal.


10/18 Letter thanking Senate Committee for efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package, sent to Senators Alexander, Hatch, Murray and Wyden.	10/18 Letter thanking House champions efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package, sent to Representatives Tonko and Luján.	10/18 Letter thanking Senate champions for efforts to have Section 3201, Allowing for more flexibility with respect to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders, in the final opioid package, sent to Senators Senators Markey, Paul, Hassan and Collins.



10/18 Letter in Support of Plaintiffs in Lawsuit Challenging Federal Final Rule Authorizing Short-Term, Limited-Duration Insurance -- which Undercuts Affordable Care Acts Reforms, especially Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity Coverage, signed by 80 organizations.	9/18 Letter supporting the inclusion of Sect. 3003 from HR 6 addressing the opioid misuse and overdose epidemic, sent to Representatives McConnell, Schumer, Ryan and Pelosi.	9/18 Letter supporting the inclusion of Section 1003 of H.R. 6, the Demonstration Project to Increase Substance Use Provider Capacity Under the Medicaid Program, sent to Representatives McConnell, Schumer, Ryan and Pelosi.


6/18 Nursing Community letter supporting the health of immigrant children, sent to Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen, U.S. Department of Homeland Security.	6/18 Nursing Community letter thanking Chairman and Ranking Members of the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, for inclusion of Section 303 in H.R.6.	4/18 Nursing Community letter in response to The Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, sent to Senator Alexander.


3/18 Nursing Community letter in support appropriations funding for Nursing Workforce Development programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research, sent to Representatives Cole and DeLauro.	3/18 Nursing Community letter in support appropriations funding for Nursing Workforce Development programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research, sent to Senators Blunt and Murray.	3/18 Nursing Community letter in support of the Gun Violence Research Act, sent to Representative Murphy.


3/18 Mental Health Liaison Group letter in support of mental health and substance use prevention in omnibus spending package, sent to Senators Cochran and Leahy and Representatives Frelinguysen and Lowey.	2/18 letter in support of a bipartisan National Commission on Mass Shootings, sent to Representatives McConnell, Pelosi, Ryan, and Schumer.	2/18 letter to explain the role of psychiatric-mental health nurses, sent to Tim Talevich, Managing Editor of International Magazines at Costco.


1/18 letter in support of the inclusion of NPs and CNSs in the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act of 2018, sent to Senators Collins, Hassan, Markey, and Paul.


2017
12/17 letter in support of the Addiction Treatment Access Improvement Act, sent to Representatives Tonko and Lujan.	6/17 Nursing Community letter committing to America's health, sent to all Senate offices.	4/17 Nursing Community letter in support of HRSA's Nursing Workforce Development programs, sent to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education


4/17 Nursing Community letter in support of Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act and the National Institute of Nursing Research, sent to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services and Education	2/17 Nursing organizations' letter in support of high quality affordable healthcare to the 45th President, sent to the Trump Administration and Congress.	1/17 Nursing Community introductory letter to the 115th Congress, sent to the House of Representatives.


1/17 Nursing Community introductory letter to the 115th Congress, sent to the Senate.	1/17 Nursing Community letter regarding the final rule from the VA on APRN scope of practice, sent to the Department of Veterans Affairs.


2016
10/16 Nursing Community letter reiterating request for support of Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research, sent to the Senate Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee.	10/16 Nursing Community letter reiterating request for support of Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research, sent to the House Committee on Appropriations and the Subcommittee on Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations Committee.	7/16 Nursing Community letter on VHA Proposed Rule to allow APRNs full practice authority, sent to Secretary McDonald and the Director of the US Department of Veterans Affairs Regulations Management


7/16 Support Letter on Maria N. Ruud's, DNP, APRN, CNP application to the National Advisory Committee on the Trafficking of Children and Youth in the United States, sent to the Office on Trafficking in Persons.	5/16 Nursing Community letter on Nurses Week, sent to all House and Senate Congressional offices.


2015
11/15 Nursing Community letter urging 302(b) allocation to Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, to Representatives Rogers and Lowey and Senators Cochran and Mikulski.	10/15 Nursing Community letter supporting the Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, to Representative DeFazio.	10/15 Nursing Community letter supporting the Veterans Health Care Staffing Improvement Act, to Senator Merkley.


8/15 Nursing Community letter supporting the Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2015, to Representative Thompson.	8/15 Nursing Community Letter to Senators Hatch and Wyden in support of Mary Wakefield's nomination as Deputy Secretary of HHS.	8/15 Nursing Community Letter to Senator Merkeley thanking him for his amendment that proposed restoration of funding for Nursing Workforce Development Programs.


08/15 Mental Health Liaison Group letter supporting the Mental Health Awareness and Improvement Act of 2015, to Senators Alexander and Murray.	05/15 Mental Health Liaison Group letter supporting the Garrett Lee Smith Act Reauthorization, to Senators Reed and Murkowski.	04/15 Congratulatory letter to Mary Wakefield on her appointment as Acting Deputy Secretary of HHS.


04/15 Nursing Community Testimony for Fiscal Year 2016 to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education.	03/15 Mental Health Liaison Group letter to Representatives Jolly and Davis in support of the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization (H.R. 938)	03/15 Nursing Community Letters to Senators Moran, Tester and Thune on the introduction of the Protecting Access to Rural Therapy Services (PARTS) Act (S. 257).


03/15 Letter to House and Senate LHHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittee on FY 2016 appropriations for Nursing Workforce Development Programs and National Institute of Nursing Research.	02/15 Thank you to Marilyn Tavenner for serving as Administrator of CMS.	02/15 Nursing Community Letter to Senators Collins and Schumer in support of the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2015.


02/15 Mental Health Liaison Group letters to Congress and President in support of FY2016 Budget proposal that eliminates the Medicare 190-day lifetime limit for psychiatric hospital care.	01/15 Congratulations to nurse and Major General Wilmouth on confirmation as Major General of the US Army Reserves.	01/15 Nursing Community Introductory Letter to Representatives in the 114th Congress.


01/15 Nursing Community Introductory Letter to Senators in the 114th Congress.


2014
11/14 Congratulations to Dr. Linda Spoonster Schwartz on confirmation as VA Assistant Secretary for Policy & Planning	11/14 Letter in support of Medicare Telehealth Parity Act of 2014 (HR 5380)


11/14 Letter to House and Senate LHHS-ED Appropriations Subcommittees on FY 2015 appropriations for Nursing Workforce Development Programs and National Institute of Nursing Research.	09/14 Letter to Senator Murray in support of the Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act (S. 2694)	09/14 Letter to Senator Brown in support of Ensuring Access to Primary Care for Women & Children Act (S. 2694)


09/14 response to Proposed Rule for Medicare Program - Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule for CY 2015	08/14 Comments on Medicare Program; Revisions to Payment Policies Under the Physician Fee Schedule, Clinical Laboratory Fee Schedule, Access to Identifiable Data for the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Models & Other Revisions to Part B for CY 2015	07/14 letter supporting Emergency Medical Services for Children Reauthorization Act of 2014, from the Nursing Community.


07/14 Letter supporting nomination of Robert McDonald as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), from the Nursing Community.	07/14 Nursing Community congratulations to Secretary Burwell, who was recently appointed as Secretary of Dept. of Health and Human Services.	06/14 letter to the Veteran's Administration, urging them to move forward with updating the VHA Nursing Handbook.


06/14 letter to Secretary Sebelius, thanking her for her service as Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services	06/14 letter to the VA supporting their work to modernize the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Nursing Handbook, from APNA.	04/14 letter to Senate Appropriations Nursing Community letter requesting funding for HRSA Nursing Workforce Development Programs in the 2015 appropriations bill.


03/14 letter in support of H.R. 3833, which eliminates provision in the ACA requiring physicians to document the face to face encounters of NPs, CNS, and PAs when ordering certain DME for Medicare patients	03/14 letter to House Appropriations Nursing Community letter requesting funding for HRSA Nursing Workforce Development Programs in the 2015 appropriations bill.	02/14 letter in support of Surgeon General nomination Nursing Community letter in support of Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy’s nomination as Surgeon General of the United States.


02/14 letter to former CNO of USPHS Nursing Community letter thanking RADM Nesseler for her service as the Chief Nursing Officer of the US Public Health Service.	02/14 petition re: VHA proposed Nursing Handbook revision Requests that representatives refrain from signing a letter expressing concerns with a proposed modification to the VHA’s Nursing Handbook which would give APRNs full scope of practice.	02/14 letter re: New CNO of the USPHS Nursing Community congratulations to Rear Admiral Trent Adams on her appointment as Chief Nursing Officer of the US Public Health Service.