AB 890 removes an outdated supervisory requirement, allowing Nurse Practitioners (NPs) to help close California’s provider gap, reduce health disparities made more apparent by COVID-19, and support our state’s goal of
Even before the COVID-19 crisis, California’s provider shortage affected millions, and still especially affects:
NPs in states without physician supervisory requirements are more likely to work in rural communities.
Even before the pandemic, 7 million Californians, primarily Latinos, African Americans and Native Americans, suffered from a shortfall of health care providers.
NPs accept greater numbers of uninsured, Medi-Cal and Medicare patients.
The COVID crisis has underscored the need to address California’s systemic health care shortages.
and a third of the psychiatrists it needs. Without action, these shortages threaten California’s short-term COVID-relief plans and long-term health care goals regarding health care coverage for underserved populations and Medi-Cal expansion. Meeting California’s goals are only possible if we have policies needed to close the provider gap.
AB 890 allows NPs to be a part of the solution to close the state’s provider gap. Removing the outdated supervisory requirement will lead to:
Research shows NPs deliver comparable care to physicians with lower rates of hospitalization and ER visits.
Over 90% of NPs accept Medi-Cal and Medicare, and 86% see uninsured patients.
If full practice authority is achieved by 2020, California would see 50,000 fewer revisits to emergency departments – resulting on cost savings of $58 million annually.
Over 58% of NPs specialize in primary care.