In study after rigorous study, evidence demonstrates that Nurse Practitioners offer significant cost savings with no sacrifice of quality of care

See By Lusine Poghosyan. She is a professor of nursing at Columbia University. Excerpts:

"All NPs must complete either a master’s or doctoral degree program and have advanced clinical training after their registered nurse preparation. NPs also undergo a rigorous national certification process to be recognized as expert health-care providers. Their numbers have increased from 120,000 in 2007 to 270,000 in 2018, and projections show that the overall NP workforce will almost double between 2013 and 2025. Nearly 90 percent of NPs are capable of delivering primary care services: They can assess patients, diagnose illnesses, prescribe medications, order tests and medical equipment, and admit patients to hospitals.

But here’s the problem: Only 22 states and the District of Columbia allow NPs “full practice authority” — the right to deliver all aspects of patient care independently, without physician oversight. In the remaining states, scope-of-practice laws impose unnecessary restrictions, requiring NPs to collaborate with a medical doctor or work under the supervision of one. Many of the most populous states — including California, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan — are among the most restrictive.

These regulatory barriers serve no valid health purpose. Their defenders claim NPs can’t be counted on to provide safe care because they spend fewer years in school than physicians, but these arguments have been thoroughly debunked. In study after rigorous study, evidence demonstrates that NPs offer significant cost savings with no sacrifice of quality of care. Indeed, they show that NPs often provide superior care, including spending more time with patients on prevention and counseling."

"In states granting NPs greater practice authority, research shows that health-care services are better utilized and primary care capacity is increased."