With health care reform slated to extend health insurance to 30 million more Americans by 2014, how will the health care industry keep up with increased demand for services?
For some experts, the solution is to expand the role of nurse practitioners.
As registered nurses with advanced medical training, nurse practitioners order lab tests, perform physical examinations and prescribe medicine, among other functions. And with a doctor shortage looming, 28 states are mulling plans to greatly expand their role in primary health care.
Nurse practitioners already make important contributions to primary care, especially in areas where few doctors are available. In one state, Montana, a medical practice can be run entirely independent of a medical doctor.
Proponents argue that nurse practitioners are highly trained, skilled medical workers with a wealth of experience diagnosing illnesses and treating conditions in primary care clinics. They refer patients to doctors and specialists when necessary, and they generally spend more one-on-one time with patients and charge less than medical doctors.
The major difference between a nurse practitioner and a medical doctor, one joke goes, is salary.
But opponents argue that an increase in demand for health care isn’t a good enough reason to expand the role of nurse practitioners. Further, they claim that nurse practitioners lack the necessary qualifications to practice medicine independently. Instead, they advocate a nationwide effort to train more doctors.
The expansion of health insurance coverage couldn’t come at a more inopportune time for the U.S. health care system, which is already bracing for the horde of baby boomers who will reach retirement age in the coming decades. By 2030, it is estimated that 69 million Americans–20 percent–will be over 65. This elderly population will place a tremendous strain on the health care industry, especially Medicare.
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