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ARNA Health Policy Position - 2009-2010
At the ANA HOD in 2005, your elected ARNA delegates joined with the entire profession of nursing in adopting a stance to support guaranteed, affordable, high quality healthcare for all. The Arkansas Nurses Association supports and is working for healthcare reform in our nation and in our state. We believe that healthcare reform must include:
Access to Quality Care: access must be affordable, available, and, acceptable.
Affordable: provided in settings that provide both treatment and follow-up
care that is reasonably priced with patient co-payments that are based on
a person’s ability to pay.
Available: healthcare services have convenient hours, locations and
waiting times to accommodate working families, people with disabilities, and
people across the lifespan.
Acceptable: healthcare services are culturally appropriate, respectful of
patients and their families, and inclusive of patient involvement in treatment
decisions.
Elimination of Pre-existing Conditions for Insurance Coverage:
- Restricts consumer access by refusing coverage because of patient’s medical history
- Excludes patients from receiving primary care and leads to increased cost
Delivery of Cost Effective Care:
- Deliver primary healthcare service in community based settings.
- Foster consumer responsibility for personal health, self care and informed
decision making.
- Use the most cost-effective providers and therapeutic options in the most
appropriate settings.
Sustainability of the Nursing Workforce:
- Workplace safety for nurses and patients
- APN’s as independent primary care providers with full/direct reimbursement
- Nursing shortage compounded by a lack of faculty for schools of nursing
- Number and distribution of schools nurses
- Appropriated nurse staffing
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