Nurse Practitioners
Coverage of Nurse Practitioners in the Nexus archive.
- US students face new loan rules
New federal student loan rules take effect, reducing repayment options and capping graduate and professional student borrowing at $100,000 and $200,000, respectively. A federal judge temporarily blocked part of the rule affecting healthcare professionals like nurse practitioners, citing potential workforce impacts. The changes, derived from a Republican tax law, require schools to demonstrate graduate earnings to maintain federal loan access.
- ‘Forced to transfer care’: Nurse practitioners worry BCBSM billing change could impact access to psychiatric help
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan's billing policy change for 'incident-to' billing may reduce access to psychiatric care by limiting nurse practitioners' reimbursement to 80%, forcing clinics to transfer care to psychiatrists. The policy, effective March, requires providers to bill under their own credentials, impacting clinics reliant on nurse practitioners for follow-up care.
- Nurse practitioners renew push for independence from physician oversight in Pa.
Nurse practitioners in Pennsylvania are advocating for full practice independence, arguing that current laws requiring physician collaboration limit access to care. Most neighboring states allow NPs to operate independently, and supporters cite studies showing no reduction in quality or safety. A Philadelphia health center highlighted delays in patient care due to the requirement for collaborating physicians.