How does the healthcare reform apply to nurses

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Specializes in I'm too new to have a specialty.

I was wondering because I have tried to read the whole affordable healthcare act in completion and I am caught up by the legality of it.

I was told by my nurse manager the other day that our payouts will be determined by patient rating cards about how satisified they are with their nurses and doctors. For instance, did your nurse treat you kindly. Did your nurse explain everything to you?

Pardon me for not understanding why the payouts are not based on the amount of lives saved, innovative new break throughs to save more lives, and excellent research professionals and results? Confused as all can be by that?

I think I understand somethings but others seem unclear.

Facts I think I understand: Many, MANY more people will acquire healthcare (no objection to people having healthcare), but they left out the law (as far as I could tell) that provided hospitals an expanded budget to hire the hundreds of thousands of millions of nurses we will need to provide the care they are mandating when we are short with a smaller group of patients?

What exactly does this mean for nurses, anything related? What do I not know? How are we going to do this when patient rates are high as is?

I hope this is something I can discuss here, if not deepest apologies.... I am just confused.

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I have just scan throught the bill and though i have no background in law it seems to me to only apply to insurance coverage,such as making it illegal to cancel coverage when one becomes ill and eliminate preexsisting conditions denials.

As for how it will affect nurses in a hospital setting, in my opinion it really shouldn't change much. If everyone had health coverage I would think that when sick one would go to a docs office as soon as they feel ill and not wait till they need to go to the ED where they may be so ill that they need admitted.Also it may cut down the number of people who use the ED as a doctors office for colds and flu symptoms.So in the end it may decrease patient admits and free up the ED for real emergencies

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Specializes in I'm too new to have a specialty.
I have just scan throught the bill and though i have no background in law it seems to me to only apply to insurance coverage,such as making it illegal to cancel coverage when one becomes ill and eliminate preexsisting conditions denials.

As for how it will affect nurses in a hospital setting, in my opinion it really shouldn't change much. If everyone had health coverage I would think that when sick one would go to a docs office as soon as they feel ill and not wait till they need to go to the ED where they may be so ill that they need admitted.Also it may cut down the number of people who use the ED as a doctors office for colds and flu symptoms.So in the end it may decrease patient admits and free up the ED for real emergencies

Good point! Yes.... I see the insurance coverage changes as well. Thanks for the reply. I think maybe I went to a topic I should not have. If so that would be just like me, insert both feet into mouth at once:confused:

I was in clinicals and some nurses were saying things like it would decrease nursing staff more and that we would make half the wage we make now! I think I take gossip as reality often? I did not see anything of the like in the bill either.

Your right, people would go to the doctor before being so sick they end up in a life threatening situation in the ER and than admit. HEY, nurse practitioners will be in demand then.....right? That is good for us?

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http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/04/20110429a.html

http://www.hfma.org/Templates/InteriorMaster.aspx?id=28167

HCAPS will account for 30% of the payment, Core Measures will be 70%

Almost no hospital will be able to meet these thresholds which means less Medicare and Medcaid reimbursements. Expect to work with less and get paid less.

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

moved to our social & health care coverage activism forum...several ongoing discussions on this topic.

articles highlighted here: passed 3/23/2010: hr 3590 patient protection+ affordable care act

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