Patient Protection And Affordable Care Act

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed into legislation in March of 2010. Identify the impact of this legislation on your nursing practice by choosing two key nursing provisions outlined in the topic material “Nursing and Health Reform.”

Discuss how these two provisions have impacted, or will impact, your current practice of nursing.

 Nursing and Health Reform

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. This law will enact sweeping changes to almost every facet of the health care system over the next ten years. The law makes changes that will impact providers, insurers, consumers, Medicare & Medicaid, and payment policies. For the purposes of this document we wanted to provide readers with an overview of those provisions in the new law that will impact the nursing community as well as their facilities. This article is intended to provide an overview of those sections of the law most relevant to WOCN members. The information focuses on three main aspects of the law: nursing workforce provisions, payment reform provisions, and facility specific provisions. Each provision is given a brief summary and policy goal of the language contained in the law. Readers can find the full legislative language for each section here: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW111publ148/html/PLAW-111publ148.htm Nursing Workforce Provisions Policy makers recognized the need for an increased workforce to care for the millions of consumers who would be added to the ranks of the insured under PPACA. This — in conjunction with an already existing workforce shortage within the nursing community — led to a number of provisions designed to increase the number of nurses in the coming years. Those provisions are as follows: Section 5202 Nursing student loan program—Updates the loan amounts for the Nursing Student Loan program and after 2012 the Secretary (of the Department of Health and Human Services) has discretion to adjust this amount based on cost of attendance increases.

Section 5203 Health care workforce loan repayment programs—Establishes a loan repayment program for individuals who are willing to practice in a pediatric medical or surgical subspecialty or in a child mental or behavioral health care for at least 2 years in an underserved area. Recipients, which include psychiatric nurses, social workers, and professional/school counselors, are eligible to receive $35,000/year in loan repayments for participation in an accredited pediatric specialty residency or fellowship. HHS is to give priority to applicants who are or will be working in a school setting, have familiarity with evidence-based healthcare, and can demonstrate financial need. Section 5204 Public health workforce recruitment and retention programs—Establishes Public Health Workforce Loan Repayment Program to assure an adequate supply of public health professionals to eliminate workforce shortages in public health agencies. HHS will repay up to 1/3 of loans incurred by a public health or health professions student in exchange for an agreement to accept employment with a public health agency for at least three years. Those serving in priority service areas may qualify for additional loan repayment incentives at department’s discretion. Section 5205 Allied health workforce recruitment and retention programs—Authorizes an Allied Health Loan Forgiveness Program to assure there is an adequate supply of allied health professionals to eliminate workforce shortages at public health agencies, acute care facilities, ambulatory care facilities, and other underserved health facilities. Section 5206 Grants for State and local programs—Authorizes HHS to make grants to accredited educational institutions that support scholarships for mid-career public health and allied health professionals who seek additional training in their respective fields. Section 5207 Funding for National Health Service Corps—Increasing funding for National Health Service Corps (NHSC) and extends authorization of appropriations for the Corps thru 2015. For FY2016 and beyond, a formula for funding is established to tie increased costs in healthcare to the number of individuals residing in health professions shortage areas. Section 5209 Elimination of cap on commissioned corps—Removes cap of 2800 commissioned officers in National Health Services Corps regular corps. Section 5210 Establishing a Ready Reserve Corps—Reconstitutes the Public Health Service Corps into the commissioned Regular Corps and a Ready Reserve Corps for service in time of national emergencies. Section 5301 Training in family medicine, general internal medicine, general pediatrics, and physician assistantship—Establishes a grant program for hospitals, medical schools, academically and affiliated PA training programs to develop and operate accredited training programs for the provision of primary care. Section 5302 Training opportunities for direct care workers—Establishes a 3 year grant program under which an institution of higher education can subsidize training of individuals at that institution who are willing to serve as direct care workers in a long-term or chronic care setting for at least two years after completion of their training. Section 5305 Geriatric education and training; career awards; comprehensive geriatric education—Authorizes HHS to award grants to advanced practice nurses who are pursuing a doctorate or other advanced degree in geriatrics and who, as a condition of accepting a grant, will agree to teach or practice in the field of geriatrics, long-term care, or chronic care management for a minimum of 5 years. Section 5309 Nurse education, practice, and retention grants—Adds 2 new grant programs specifically focused on nurse retention. One will authorize HHS to award grants to accredited nursing schools or health facilities to promote career advancement among nurses. The 2nd will permit HHS to make awards to nursing schools or health facilities that can demonstrate enhanced collaboration and communication among nurses and other health care professionals. Priority directed towards applicants that have not previously received an award. Section 5310 Loan repayment and scholarship program—Expands Nurse Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs to provide loan repayment for students who serve for at least two years as a faculty member at an accredited nursing school. Section 5311 Nurse faculty loan program—Increases the Nurse Faculty Loan Program amounts from $30,000 to $35,000 in FY 2010 and FY 2011, declares that the amount of these loans will thereafter be adjusted to provide for cost-of-attendance increases for yearly loan rates and the aggregate loan. Creates new authority to permit HHS to enter into an agreement with individuals who hold unencumbered RNs and who have already completed, or are currently enrolled in, a master’s or doctorate training program for nursing. HHS will provide up to $10,000/year to master’s recipients and $20,000/year to those who earn a doctorate so long as these individuals spend at least 4 years out of a 6 year period as a full-time faculty member at an accredited nursing school. Section 5312 Authorization of appropriations for parts B through D of title VIII— Authorizes $338 million in appropriations to carry out nursing workforce development programs in FY 2010. FY 2011-2016 will be funded according to what HHS determines as “such sums as may be necessary” to carry out these programs. Section 5404 Workforce diversity grants