Yesterday, during the ASA’s annual legislative conference, Representatives David Scott (D-GA), Mike Turner (R-OH), Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), and Yvette Clarke (D-NY) introduced a bill ironically named the “Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act of 2023” (H.R. 3347). This self-serving legislation puts physician anesthesiologists’ egos ahead of veterans’ access to care and demonstrates once again that the ASA’s priorities lie with profits and power, not patients.
Specifically, H.R. 3347 would prevent the VA from allowing CRNAs to have full practice authority within the VA – fighting against the false argument that CRNAs seek to replace all physician anesthesiologists in these facilities. Read the AANA statement on the legislation here and a recent letter by AANA Vice President Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col (ret.) USAFR NC to the House Veterans Affairs Committee here.
The AANA is already working tirelessly to stop this legislation and to ensure the VA writes and implements evidence-based national standards of practice. We’re confident we will succeed, but we need your help. Please contact your U.S. Representative today to them know that this legislation is harmful to our veterans and that you, as a constituent, strongly oppose it.
Instructions for contacting your Representative
1. Click here to be directed to a pre-written email to your legislator.
2. Please personalize this email so that it’s not seen as a form letter. Be sure to keep the tone professional.
3. Click “send email.”
4. 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.
Sincerely,
Angela Mund, DNP, CRNA
AANA President
(Copy provided by AANA)
