Last week, Rep. David Scott (D-GA) along with Reps. Mike Turner (OH-10) and Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) released the ironically named Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act, which would limit access to anesthesia care for veterans and increase delays and costs. The bill seeks to ensure that the VA Secretary cannot implement full practice authority for CRNAs working in the VA and would instead require physician anesthesiologists to supervise nurse anesthesiologists, instead of providing care themselves.
AANA President Dina Velocci, DNP, CRNA, APRN, released a statement opposing the legislation stating, “Today, allies of the American Society of Anesthesiologists introduced a bill to deny, delay, and disrupt veterans’ access to care in the middle of a public health emergency. In a direct attack on CRNAs, who have been serving on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bill would limit the ability of the Veterans Administration (VA) to allow CRNAs to provide care to veterans. AANA strongly opposes this misguided legislation that would only serve to hurt veterans’ access to care. All available evidence shows that CRNAs working independently are the most cost-effective method of anesthesia delivery and the safest, which is why CRNAs are able to practice independently in every branch of the military and why 49 states do not require the involvement of physician anesthesiologists in CRNA practice. This is why multiple Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs) supported CRNA full practice authority in 2016 and why several VSOs have testified in support of national standards of practice that would allow CRNAs and other providers to practice to the top of their scope.”
The AANA is working tirelessly to stop this legislation and the harm it would do to veterans’ access to quality care, and we’re confident we will succeed. But, we need your help. We need you to take immediate action by contacting your US Representative and asking him or her ASAP not to cosponsor this legislation.
Instructions for contacting your Representative
- Click here or text CRNA to 52886.
- You will be directed to a pre-written email to your legislator. Please personalize this email so that it’s not seen as a form letter. Be sure to keep the tone professional.
- Click “send email.”
- Share the link with your friends and family so they can contact their legislators as well.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact AANA Federal Government Affairs at info@aanadc.com. Thank you for being a CRNA advocate.
(Copy provided by AANA)
