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

2021 | 2020 |  2019 | 2018 | 2017

Coalitions

2021
  • 3/31 Nursing Community Coalition letter to Congressional Leadership urging for consideration and passage of the Workplace Violence Prevention for Health Care and Social Service Workers Act (H.R. 1195).
     
  • 3/25 Nursing Community Coalition letter of congratulations to the recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra.
     
  • 3/16 Mental Health Liaison Group letter to House and letter to Senate members thanking them for introducing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 1667). This legislation will reduce and prevent suicide and improve conditions that may cause "burn out" in mental and behavioral health care providers.
     
  • 3/16 Nursing Community Coalition letter to leadership for House and letter to leadership for Senate Subcommittees on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in support of funding for Nursing Workforce Development programs and National Institute of Nursing Research.
     
  • 3/3 Nursing Community Coalition letter of congratulations to recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Denis McDonough.
     
  • 2/22 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry coalition letter to leadership at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of National Drug Control Policy supporting efforts to increase access to buprenorphine and reduce overdose rates including advocating for development of improved training platforms to replace waiver training prior to waiver elimination.
     
  • 1/21 Nursing Community Coalition introductory letter to U.S. Senators and introductory letter to members of the U.S. House of Representatives outlining key concerns such as continued investment in the workforce and research.
 
2020
  • 11/13 Nursing Community Coalition introductory letter to President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris.
  • 10/28 Mental Health Liaison Group letters to Governors (with insurance commissioners copied) requesting telemental health coverage for commercial plans remain through 2021. (Sent to states that do not have a telehealth mandate in place.)
  • 9/30 Nursing Community Coalition letter to Congressional Leadership and key committees expressing support for the Future Advancement of Academic Nursing (FAAN) Act (S.4396/H.R.7945) and encouraging its inclusion in the next COVID-19 legislative relief package.
  • 9/22 Mental Health Liaison Group letter thanking Senators Kaine, Reed, Cassidy and Young for introducing the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act. intended to reduce and prevent suicide and mental and behavioral health conditions among health care professionals.
  • 9/11 Nursing Community Coalition letters to both the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee urging them to support and advance S.997/H.R.2056 - the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Recognition Act of 2019.
  • 8/31 Nursing Community Coalition letter welcoming the new National Institute of Nursing Research’s (NINR) Director, Dr. Shannon Zenk.
  • 8/18 Nursing Community Coalition letter to Congressional Leadership outlining again priorities for any COVID-19 legislative package working its way through Congress.
  • 7/29 Nursing Community Coalition letter to Congressional Leadership outlining additional priorities for any COVID-19 legislative package working its way through Congress.
  • 7/22 Mental Health Liaison Group letter to House Leadership and Chairman House Energy and Commerce Committee supporting the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act.
  • 7/15 Nursing Community Coalition letter urging CMS to continue to remove barriers to practice and ensure that patients have access to high quality nursing care by extending,and making permanent,waivers beyond this Public Health Emergency(PHE).
  • 6/22 letter to Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations from Nursing Community Coalition regarding increased funding for Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development Programs and the National Institute of Nursing Research.
  • 6/17 Mental Health Liaison Group letter to House Leadership and Chairman House Energy and Commerce Committee urging them to bring the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act up for a vote under suspension for standalone passage.
  • 5/19 Letter to the President from nursing organizations requesting  resources to address the psychological impacts of COVID-19.
  • Community Statement on the Integral Role of Oral and Dental Health Care in Protecting Americans from Viral Pandemics from Nursing Community Coalition in support of oral and dental health care as protection against viruses.
  • 5/18 Nursing Community Coalition letter to Vice President Pence, Secretary Wilkie, and Executive Stone asking for removal of barriers to practice and allow for Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) to practice to the full extent of their education and abilities, especially as our nation combats COVID-19.
  • 4/28 Letter to Congressional leaders from Nursing Community Coalition thanking them for their work to combat COVID-19 and outlining additional priorities for future legislative packages during the national emergency.
  • 3/25 Letter to Congressional leaders from Mental Health Liaison Group regarding lifting restrictions on telebehavioral health during the national emergency.
  • 3/19 Letter to Congressional leaders from Nursing Community Coalition naming shared priorities in the COVID-19 legislative package under consideration.
  • 3/2 Letter to House and Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, Committee on Appropriations regarding support of Nursing Workforce Development programs.
  • 2/28 Letter to Chairman and Ranking Member of the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs from Nursing Community Coalition supporting the United States Cadet Nurse Corps Service Recognition Act of 2019.
  • 2/14 Letter to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission from the Mental Health Liaison Group supporting the National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act of 2018, in order to identify a three digit number dedicated to suicide and other mental health crises.
  • 1/20 Mental Health Liaison Group Letter to Representatives Bilirakis and Engel, supporting the Effective Suicide Screening and Assessment in the Emergency Department Act of 2019, which would help address the growing epidemic of suicides in the United States by improving the identification, assessment and treatment of patients in emergency departments who are at high risk of suicide.
  • 1/17 Letter to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from Nursing Community Coalition responding to a request for feedback on Scope of Practice.

 

2019
  • 12/5 Letter to House and Senate Appropriators from Nursing Community Coalition reiterating our updated funding requests for FY 2020.
  • 9/12 Endorsement letter which includes nearly 50 mental health organizations and companies endorsing HR 4194 – to make a 3 digit mental health and suicide prevention line a national service, sent to committee staff and the ranking members for the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Communications & Technology (the committee of jurisdiction for this bill.)
  • 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.
  • 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.

 

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.
AMERICAN PSYCHIATRIC NURSES ASSOCIATION and APNA-Logoare registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as trademarks of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.
The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited with distinction as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.