ANA Supports The Independence At Home Act

Main Category: Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP
Article Date: 15 Jun 2009 - 4:00 PDT

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The American Nurses Association (ANA) applauds the efforts of lawmakers to bring primary care services offered through registered nurses to Medicare beneficiaries in their homes by reintroducing the "Independence at Home Act of 2009" (H.R. 2560/S. 1131). ANA supports this legislation because it provides patients with care options that enhance individual independence and can lead to a better quality of life. This legislation also smartly recognizes the integral role nurses and nurse practitioners play in the delivery of primary care and helps bring the focus of our health care system back where it belongs- on the patient and the community.

"This legislation will ensure that patients receive a higher quality of care, and a higher quality of life," remarked ANA President Rebecca M. Patton, MSN, RN, CNOR. "ANA supports the Independence at Home Act because we believe it's an excellent step toward creating a health care system that is patient centered, comprehensive, accessible and delivers quality care for all."

Further, the "Independence at Home Act of 2009" would allow Medicare patients with multiple chronic conditions to receive primary care at home in a familiar and comfortable environment. The bill aims to support an interdisciplinary model in which all healthcare providers are able to practice collaboratively and to the full extent of their education and licensure on behalf of the patient.

ANA is proud to support this legislation and will continue to advocate for high-quality, affordable health care for all.

The ANA is the only full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's 2.9 million registered nurses through its 51 constituent member nurses associations and its 24 specialty nursing and workforce advocacy affiliate organizations that currently connect to ANA as affiliates. The ANA advances the nursing profession by fostering high standards of nursing practice, promoting the rights of nurses in the workplace, projecting a positive and realistic view of nursing, and by lobbying the Congress and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and the public.

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ANA