ARNPs United: Legislative Update

ARNPs United of Washington State represents nurse practitioners, certified nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives. In 2016, we anticipate clinical nurse specialists will join us as advanced registered nurse practitioners (ARNPs) through regulatory change as recommended by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing and in compliance with the APRN Consensus Model.

ARNPs United monitors legislative and regulatory issues affecting ARNP Practice. In 2015, we successfully introduced legislation in Olympia that allowed ARNPs to sign non-federal documents that called for a physician signature, House Bill 1259.

Throughout the state, our most significant issue addresses equal pay for equal work. Premera cut ARNP reimbursement in 2014 from 100 percent of physicians’ rates to 85 percent. No rationale has been provided. As feared, Regence recently announced plans to follow suit in 2016. As an organization, we are trying to collect stories that describe the impact of these decisions on NP businesses and our ability to continue providing care to a growing population of insured patients. Study after study continues to demonstrate ARNP outcomes are equal to those of physicians and patient satisfaction is as good or better. We continue to strategize regarding the unfair practice of unequal pay for our work.

To join ARNPs United or find more information about what we do, visit our website at auws.org.