Congressional Bills to Keep Your Eyes On

On 6/23/13, Congressman Greg Walden (R-OR-2) introduced H.R. 2504 - The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2013 which would amend a quirk in Medicare law keeping APRNs from signing home health plans of care and from certifying Medicare patients for the home health benefit. This bill would address these problems by specifically allowing nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives and physician assistants to certify home health services.  Texas representatives who have signed on as cosponsers include Lamar Smith, Lloyd Doggett, Pete Olson, Beto O'Rourke, and Eddie Bernice Johnson.  This bill is currently sitting in the Subcommittee on Health.

The Senate also has two similar bills in committee:  S.1332 and S.2359.  You can read these bills, see their sponser/cosponsers, track their progress and get information to inform your own polical involvement by searching http://thomas.loc.gov/home/bills_res.html.