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Urge Your Members of Congress To CoSponsor The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2007!

The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 1678/H.R. 6826), would change Medicare law to grant Nurse Practitioners, Clinical Nurse Specialists, and Certified Nurse Midwives the ability to order and certify home health services and to sign home health plans of care.

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Subject:

Dear [ Decision Maker ],

(Edit Letter Below)

I am writing to urge you to support the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (S. 1678/H.R. 6826).  Advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are playing an increasing role in American health care delivery. Nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives can prescribe medications and practice independent of physicians in most states. Many studies have shown that APRNs provide cost-effective, high quality care. In addition, they are often willing to provide services in areas where access to physicians is limited.

Medicare has recognized the independent practice of APRNs for nearly two decades, and these health care professionals now provide the majority of skilled care to home health patients. Unfortunately, a quirk in Medicare law has kept APRNs from signing home health plans of care and from certifying Medicare patients for the home health benefit. In areas where access to physicians is limited, this outdated prohibition has lead to delays in health care delivery. These delays in care inconvenience patients and their families. In addition, delays can also result in increased cost to the Medicare system when patients are unnecessarily left in more expensive institutional settings.

The Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act would address these problems by specifically allowing nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and certified nurse midwives to certify home health services. I urge you to support APRNs and their home health patients by cosponsoring the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (S. 1678/H.R. 6826).

Sincerely,
[Your name]
[Your address]

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