Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/198096
NewsBriefs:May 7/3/08 12:46 PM Page 7 Our Bills to Watch in 2008 ore th an ev er before in response to our nation's healthcare crisis, our lawmakers are introducing legislation left and right to rein in insurance and hospital corporations. Patients are facing skyrocketing premiums, delays and denials of care, policy cancellations, balance billing, and other life-threatening healthcare injustices. The major bills to establish single-payer healthcare, HR 676 nationally and SB 840 in California, have long stood on our radar screens, but CNA/ NNOC has also helped introduce much more legislation that improves nursing practice. In addition to bills we're sponsoring, we're also tracking dozens that we are supporting or opposing. An exhaustive list is too long to print here, but can be found on our website www.calnurses.org by clicking the "Legislative Advocacy" link on the left. To get involved, write or call your representatives to let them know you are a CNA/NNOC nurse supporting or opposing these bills. Better yet, contact your labor rep or organizer to find out how you can join in a legislative visit. If we don't like the laws, let's get out there and change them. M Arizona H O US E HB 2041 (Prezelski) Arizona Patient Protection Act This bill, modeled after California's groundbreaking ratio bill, AB 394, would establish safe, numerical staffing ratios in Arizona's acute-care hospitals; create true whistleblower protections for RNs reporting unsafe staffing or other conditions; and formalize the RN's duty and right to act as patient advocate. California S E N AT E SB 840 (Kuehl) Single-Payer Healthcare This bill would establish the California Healthcare System (CHS) under which all California residents would be eligible for comprehensive healthcare benefits. The CHS would, like Medicare, be the public single-payer for private providers. Patients would choose their doctor and hospital and never receive an insurance bill. It would be financed by eliminating insurance JUNE 2008 gatekeeping and profits and by using the billions of dollars in savings to provide care to everyone. SB 1151 (Perata) Lift Teams This bill requires acute-care hospitals to establish a patient protection and healthcare worker back injury prevention plan that shall include a safe patient handling policy with lift teams, training, and equipment based upon the RN's assessment of the patient. SB 1721 (Yee) RN Competency This bill codifies the existing regulation of validating competencies for registered nurses by providing a uniform, minimum standard of competencies being validated after five standard shifts in a specified clinical area. Self assessments of nurses are strictly prohibited and nurses not validated cannot be counted towards the nurse-to-patient ratio. This bill applies to new hires, casual, per diem, registry, and traveler staff. ASSEMBLY AB 371 (Huffman) Health Facilities This bill requires general acute-care hospitals that apply for tax-exempt public bond financing to provide a copy of the hospital's injury and illness prevention program, which must include a zero lift/safe handling policy. W W W. C A L N U R S E S . O R G Illinois HOUSE HB 392 (Flowers) Illinois Patient Protection Act This bill, modeled after California's groundbreaking ratio bill, AB 394, would establish safe, numerical staffing ratios in Illinois' acute-care hospitals; create true whistleblower protections for RNs reporting unsafe staffing or other conditions; and formalize the RN's duty and right to act as patient advocate. National HR 676 (Conyers) United States National Health Insurance Act This federal legislation would establish national, single-payer health insurance, which includes all medically necessary care, including primary and preventive care, dental care, vision services, mental healthcare, and prescription drugs, for all U.S. residents. Patients continue to choose their own doctors and providers. Would eliminate the private insurance industry as middlemen and allow providers to be directly reimbursed for their services by the government. Watch for Patient Protection Acts, which include RN-to-patient staffing ratios, to be introduced or resubmitted soon in Ohio, Maine, and Texas. Our RN leaders in those states are busy preparing for those legislative efforts. REGISTERED NURSE 7