Legislative News

Our Lobbying Effort Needs Your Financial Support!

9/3/2009

Dear Colleagues,

The state legislators are working towards Health Care Payment Reform in Massachusetts. The language for this piece of legislation is being crafted as we speak and will be filed within the next ten days. As this moves forward, we MUST be included in any language that speaks to reimbursement. If we do not get inclusion now we will have a long and expensive battle to change the law later. And the potential economic impact for NP practice is huge. Reimbursement must recognize our contributions to health care and we must work towards parity.

Having said that, this will be a battle, as the physicians will not willingly include us in reimbursement language. I need your support and your recognition that this is a MUST DO.

As you know, MCNP has not raised member dues in a number of years. We have implemented significant organizational changes to become cost effective. However, the cost for lobbying the above health care payment language was not anticipated or budgeted for in our 2009 lobbying expenses. It is, nonetheless crucial.

I am asking each of you to renew your annual MCNP membership if you have not already done so. I am also asking that you consider donating one hour of your salary to this cause.* It is a small price to pay and will greatly help offset the cost of this lobbying effort. Encourage your NP colleagues who have not yet joined the MNCP to become members as well.

This is critical and we cannot be passive in this discussion!! Remember that reimbursement is power. We are key stakeholders and we must be represented at the reimbursement table.

Thank you for your willingness to support this cause. If we continue to fight and be visible, we will succeed!

Nancy O'Rourke, MSN, ACNP, ANP, RnC.
AANP State Representative and President Massachusetts Coalition of Nurse Practitioners
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* For Donations to our Health Care Payment Reform lobbying effort, please make your check made payable to MCNP (note Lobbying Support in the memo line) and mail to:

MCNP
PO Box 1153
Littleton, MA 01460