Final Push for Support of HB 495 Before Senate Votes Tuesday

Why is support for HB 495 important?

• La ranks 50th for access to care with 15 parishes having only 5 physicians per 10,000 residents.
• In just 14 years, elderly will outnumber children for the first time in our country's history.
• The number of medical school graduates has been flat since 1988.
• 40% of La residents rely on Medicaid and 80% of NPs accept new Medicaid patients. 
• For the past 13 months, NPs in La have operated without a collaborative practice agreement without ANY adverse effects and without ANY opposition.
• 22 states and D.C. already give full practice authority to NPs..
• There is NO evidence to support the use of a collaborative practice agreement.