As GAPNA’s health policy fellow, I attended AANP’s annual Health Policy Conference in Washington, D.C. alongside 340 nurse practitioners from across the country. We immersed ourselves in learning and deploying the tools needed to develop policy and related content as constituents and healthcare providers.
This congressional session brings ongoing opportunities for advocacy for our patients and our work; with nearly 100 million Americans lacking access to basic healthcare services. Our voices are central to raising awareness for our patients’ needs.
We remain the fastest growing group of primary care providers and manage almost one billion patient visits annually – over 74% of us care for Medicare patients, and 80% of us currently see Medicaid patients. We provide access to comprehensive, quality health care with key insights into caring for underserved communities. We actively identify and manage care gaps as the most trusted profession by the public yet remain underrepresented in public health discussions and decision-making.
As Tay Kopanos, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP, and the AANP’s Vice President of State Government
Affairs shared with us, “If you can write a SOAP note, you can talk to a legislator.”1 I have been struggling, like many, to find traction in making a difference in the policy arena these days, but Dr. Kopanos’ words continue to resonate with me deeply.
Building Nursing Presence
The AANP Health Policy conference coincided with this year’s State of the Union address. We worked to strengthen messaging to new legislators, provide legislative staff with education about nurse practitioner roles, education, and licensing and how to address barriers to care faced by our patients.
We amplified the focus on the widespread, effective, and value-based care we provide and the care gaps we help address. Sessions focused on nonpartisan advocacy, health policy development, public messaging, public health initiatives, and coalition building. Our work culminated in visits with legislators emphasizing key federal legislative priorities for which included co-sponsorship.
H.R. 1317/S.575 the Improving Care and Access to Nurses (ICAN) Act
This bipartisan omnibus legislation, introduced in both chambers in February and supported by more than 260 organizations nationally, effectively retires outdated barriers faced by NPs and their patients in Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation focuses on making healthcare more efficient and patient-centered by
- Formalizing NP certifications and recertifications of terminal illnesses for patients to remain hospice eligible
- Authorizing NPs to perform all mandatory examinations in skilled nursing facilities
- Formalizing NP authority to order cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation
- Ensuring that NPs can certify when patients need therapeutic shoes
- Opening the way for NPs to refer patients for medical nutritional therapy
- Ensuring representation for patients in the Medicare Shared Savings Program
Learn more about GAPNA’s current legislative priorities here.
Telling Our Stories
As nurse practitioners, we are in a unique position to highlight the stories of the vulnerable individuals in our care; our input is urgently needed. Our NP role is essential to address care gaps in every community demographic nationwide and we have compelling perspectives to add.
Taking action to safeguard patient access and our own practice can happen on any level, and it is never too late to begin. GAPNA and the organization’s Special Interest Groups (SIGs) offer multiple resources to pinpoint federal priorities and current areas of vulnerability for those in our care. Reach out to local news outlets, policymakers, and within your own community:
• Share your stories, anecdotes, and related facts
• Keep the narrative clear, concise, and factual
• Stay on topic
Moving Forward
Know who your coalitions are.
Coalitions are a way to strengthen support and visibility for our advocacy work. GAPNA partners with multiple groups to raise policy concerns and to prioritize action on key issues. Click here to learn more.
Show up actively in your community.
Raising our voices can be daunting, however, we have firsthand access to how policy changes are affecting the older adults in our care. The quality and accessibility of healthcare is already our business. Take a look at GAPNA’s Health Affairs Toolkit to get started.
Step forward into leadership roles to build visibility.
Ask yourself: are there healthcare hearings, committee meetings or opportunities for public comments on proposed legislation or policy? GAPNA’s Health Affairs Committee and the AANP Governmental Affairs staff provide accessible guidance for all points of entry into policy work – large and small. Explore GAPNA's Leadership Institute to learn more.
Speak up.
Communicate with your elected representatives at the state and federal levels. Call. Write. Text. Email. Reach out through Op-Eds and community education forums. Our training and practice have already given us the tools and experience to do so effectively. GAPNA and AANP provide excellent advocacy resources to support our efforts.
For related GAPNA resources on advocacy, click here.
For additional advocacy resources from AANP, click here.
Follow up.
Keep at it, one step at a time – and know that we are in this together.
By Elizabeth Terhune, MSN, PhD Student, AGPCNP-BC, ACHPN, GAPNA Health Affairs Committee Student Representative (2025 - 2027), Student Board Member for the New England Chapter of GAPNA (2023 - 2024)
Sources: AANP National Nurse Practitioner Database, 2024; 2024 AANP Workforce Survey;
2024 AANP Omnibus Survey; 2021 CMS Program Statistics
1Quotation used with permission