Government Health Policy and Nurse Anesthetists

Recent federal legislation and changes to the U.S. Medicare program have expanded opportunities for certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to provide care to more patients and receive reimbursement for their services, yet many states still restrict their scope of practice and limit their pay.

A special section in the current issue of Clinical Scholars Review, the journal of advanced practice nursing published by Columbia Nursing, explores how the Affordable Care Act (ACA) empowers CRNAs to help make anesthesia services more accessible to patients; it also highlights laws in New York and other states that may impede the expanded access to care envisioned by ACA.

Read the articles in the special section.