Senate Bill 406, authored by State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, will have far-reaching effects that will facilitate more patients receiving the health care they need, according to the Texas Nurse Practitioners, which represents 9,000 nurse practitioners statewide. The bill has also drawn support from the Texas Association of Business.
Texas legislators have paved the way to improve access to health care in Texas by making it easier for physicians, advanced practice nurses and physician assistants to work together to deliver primary care, according to supporters of a bill waiting to be signed by the governor.
Senate Bill 406, authored by State Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound, will have far-reaching effects that will facilitate more patients receiving the health care they need, according to the Texas Nurse Practitioners, which represents 9,000 nurse practitioners statewide. The bill has also drawn support from the Texas Association of Business.
“We hope the passage of SB 406 will not only increase access but help rein in costs, and that just makes good sense for all – both from a business as well as a health care perspective,” TAB President and CEO Bill Hammond said.
According to the TNP, the bill will facilitate the following:
•Eliminate the requirement for onsite physician supervision and allow doctors to delegate drug and durable medical device prescribing authority to an advanced practice nurse or physician assistant
•Increase from four to seven the number of advanced practice registered nurses or physician assistants to whom a physician can delegate prescriptive authority
•Improve coordination between the Texas Medical Board and the Board of Nursing and Board of Physician Assistants
•Allow physicians to delegate prescribing authority to APRNs and PAs for certain controlled substances in hospitals and hospice settings
The numbers explain why this legislation was needed, according to TNP: Texas ranks 47th in the country in the number of primary care physicians; 185 counties in Texas are designated as medically underserved; the number of primary care providers per 100,000 rural population is significantly less than in metropolitan areas; and the number of APRNs in Texas is rapidly increasing, having jumped from 2,804 in 2001, to 9,713 in 2011.
“The passage of this bill shows that our lawmakers realize that demographics are changing and that our aging population, along with the prevalence of chronic diseases and health disparities, must be addressed,” TNP President Sandy McCoy said.
James JeffreyContributing Writer- Austin Business JournalEmail
