Bill > S2418

This bill, the Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act (I CAN Act), aims to expand the role and scope of practice for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse practitioners, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse-midwives, under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. Key provisions include: - Allowing nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and physician assistants to provide and prescribe services for cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs, order certain diabetic shoes, and provide medical nutrition therapy under Medicare. - Expanding the ability of APRNs to provide and certify care in skilled nursing facilities, hospice, home health, and other settings under both Medicare and Medicaid. - Removing certain supervisory requirements for certified registered nurse anesthetists and establishing CRNA services as a required Medicaid benefit. - Improving access to maternity care training and services provided by certified nurse-midwives under Medicare and other federal programs. - Revising the local coverage determination process under Medicare to increase transparency and prohibit contractor limitations on APRN qualifications. The overall goal is to reduce barriers to practice and expand patient access to care provided by advanced practice nurses across the healthcare system.