The Affordable Care Act–also known as Obamacare–has extended health insurance coverage to millions of Americans. But access to coverage doesn’t guarantee access to care. With a shortage of primary care providers in the U.S., the Affordable Care Act tries to bump up the numbers of physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants who can provide this care. Expanding the numbers isn’t the only approach to improving access to care that can promote the health of people. For example, nurse practitioners face numerous barriers to providing care in affordable, effective, and efficient ways. New York State’s new budget law included language to begin to remove some of these barriers, but the continuing opposition by organized medicine made this effort fall short of authorizing nurse practitioners to practice without mandated collaboration with physicians–something that one-third of states now permit and that the evidence documents is not only safe, but may improve the care that patients receive.
Tonight on Healthstyles, producer Diana Mason, PhD, RN, discusses these issues with Edwidge Thomas, RN, ANP, DNP, and adult nurse practitioner and Director of Clinical Practice Affairs at the NYU College of Nursing. That’s tonight on WBAI, 99.5 FM (www.wbai.org) from 11:00 PM to 11:25. Or click here to listen anytime:
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