Florida TaxWatch, Tea Party Support 'Full Scope' for Nurse Practitioners

Florida TaxWatch estimates that the state's taxpayers would save $339 million annually if the Legislature enabled nurse practitioners to function at their "full scope" of practice.

A TaxWatch policy brief released Thursday stated:

The Florida Legislature should remove the barriers to practice for Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants by granting authority for the prescription of controlled substances and direct billing to insurance companies and managed care facilities the Legislature should amend Florida Statutes, to clarify and increase the scope of practice for these medical professionals.

Florida and Alabama remain the only two states that limit the practice of NPs.

The Florida Medical Association has opposed any expansion of nurse practitioners' scope of practice. A "full scope" bill by Rep. Daphne Campbell, D-Miami, failed to get a hearing last session.

It makes no sense that we are wasting money when we are talking about another year of revenue shortfalls and cuts to the disabled and mentally ill. said Susan Lynch of the Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses PAC.

Jim Pruette, president of the Calhoun/Liberty Patriots, a member group of the Tea Party Network, expressed "full and absolute support of this and any other measures that would improve access to as well as bring down the skyrocketing cost of health care.

It seems obvious to us that any sensible and responsible legislation which would accomplish those goals would have overwhelming and unanimous support from our elected representatives," Pruette said.

In a statement issued Friday, the FMA said:

TaxWatch is just flat out wrong in its analysis. These are not simply administrative and legislative barriers. The key issue is one of education and training.Although nurses and PAs play an important role in our health care system, it is critically important to understand that they are not medical doctors.They are not required to have the same level of education and training as a physician (MD or DO).

"We must protect the safety of Floridians, particularly our children and our seniors, and ensure that they receive the best medical care by the person best trained to deliver that care. The FMA will continue to advocate for greater patient access by making Florida a better place to practice medicine, not a more dangerous place to receive care.

Late Friday, TaxWatch fired back in a written statement to Sunshine State News:

"The FMA is clearly acting in their members best interests in appearing to believe that the 96 percent of the country that allows ARNPs and PAs to provide these types of services is acting against the public welfare, and that patients in these other 48 states are in peril."