Nurse Practitioners of New York (NPNY) announces a new law that increases access to care for many New Yorkers who are taken care of by NPs.

Nurse Practitioners of New York (NPNY) announces a new law that increases access to care for many New Yorkers who are taken care of by NPs.

The bill signed into law by Governor Cuomo (A4140 (Richard Gottfried); S2300 (Kemp Hannon) ensures that NPs can provide all aspects of care. With the passage of the Nurse Practitioner Modernization Act of 2014 (NPMA), the legislature reviewed and updated various laws that relate to NP practice and introduced an omnibus bill to conform various aspects with the NPMA. None of the provisions of the new law affect the NP scope of practice, but it will increase access to care for many New Yorkers and may reduce spending by eliminating duplicative services.

Specifically, the new law allows NPs to order "home health aide services" such as "simple health care tasks, personal hygiene services, housekeeping tasks essential to the patient's health and other related supportive services."

The bill also updates several other areas to comply with the 2014 NPMA i.e. providing clinical lab tests as an adjunct to the treatment of a patient; signing by an NP of health certificates for students; providing cosmetology health certificates; certify physical exams for barber licenses; provide bus driver health certificates; and sign a certificate of proof of disability to be able to get a special license for their vehicles.

Nurse Practitioners have proven capable of providing safe care to patients that encompasses appropriate management of many conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, chronic cancer, assisting healthy lifestyle changes in geriatric and pediatric adult populations and prevention of profession of disease as well as supporting end of life care.

The prior restrictions may be burdensome to physicians and may increase unnecessary work. New laws and policies encourage nurse practitioners independent practice and remove restrictions placed on NP practice. The new bill will reduce spending by eliminating duplicative services while improving the quality and timeliness of care for those who need services.

NPNY thanks all legislators who signed on to the bill in the Assembly: Richard Gottfried, Anthony Brindisi, Barbara Clark, Patricia Fahy, Latoya Joyner, Andrew Hevesi, Guillermo Linares, Donna Lupardo, John McDonald, Philip Palmesano, James Skoufis, Phil Steck, and Jo Anne Simon; and Senators: Kemp Hannon, Tony Avella, Neil Breslin, Martin M Dilan, Ruth Hassell-Thompson, George Latimer, Velmanette Montgomery, Marc Panepinto, David Valesky and Catherine Young.