Balanced Budget Act provides big
victory for nurses
On Aug. 5, President Clinton signed the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 into law.
This legislation is noteworthy because for the first time, effective Jan. 1, Medicare will reimburse Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Clinical Nurse Specialists (CNSs) for services provided in both rural and urban areas. Rural reimbursement only had been granted in the fall of 1989. This new law will allow advanced practice nurses to meet the needs of many who are now underserved and is a positive step forward in providing caring, equitable, cost-effective health care.
This victory was attained by the hard work of national organizations like the American Psychiatric Nurses Association and the American Nurses Association.
A number of MUSC nurses played a vital role in working with these national organizations to make this legislation a reality. A special recognition goes to Christine Hamolia, R.N. at the Institute of Psychiatry who was an American Psychiatric Nurses Association State Legislative Affiliate and spearheaded this effort among nurses in South Carolina, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida and Puerto Rico.
Contributed by Gail Stuart, Ph.D., R.N., and Jo Smith.