Premium
Implementing the ACA: The Influence of Nurse Practitioner Regulatory Policies on Workforce, Access to Care, and Primary Care Health Outcomes
Author(s) -
Sonenberg Andréa,
Knepper Hillary,
Pulcini Joyce
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
poverty and public policy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.206
H-Index - 4
ISSN - 1944-2858
DOI - 10.1002/pop4.119
Subject(s) - workforce , patient protection and affordable care act , equity (law) , health care , nursing , population , business , medicine , primary care , credentialing , population health , health care reform , health policy , family medicine , health insurance , environmental health , economic growth , public health , political science , economics , law
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act P.L. 111–148 (ACA) was projected to expand health insurance to about 32 million people by 2014. This influx presents significant pressures for primary health care providers (PCP) at a time when there is already a PCP shortage. The associations among prevention, equity, healthy environments, nurse practitioner (NP) regulatory policies, and access to primary care are well documented in the literature. This article presents relationships among NP scope of practice regulations in the 50 states and the District of Columbia and their potential impact on population health outcomes. Utilizing correlation and multiple regression analyses, this study identifies modest but significant associations. In accordance with Institute of Medicine (2011) recommendations, the authors suggest successful implementation of the ACA requires modernization and standardization of existing NP practice regulatory policies in order to build primary care capacity, increase access, and improve population health.