Opposing Scope of Practice Expansion

On November 02, 2022, IPSIS joined the American Medical Association along with other medical specialty societies in submitting a letter to Congress expressing strong opposition to H.R. 8812 known as the “Improving Care and Access to Nurses Act,” or the “I CAN Act.” If passed, this legislation would:

• Allow non-physician practitioners (NPPs) to perform tasks and services outside their education and training.
  
• Expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners (NPs), certified nurse midwives (CNMs), certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), clinical nurse specialists (CNS), and physician assistants (PAs).
  
• Remove supervision requirements for CRNAs, a change that could have devastating quality outcomes for patients.
  

Outlining the major differences in education and training between physicians and NPPs, the letter also raises concerns regarding language that could be potentially misinterpreted and prevent Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) from imposing any limitation on the types of NPPs who can provide specific items or services associated with a local coverage determination (LCD).

IPSIS provides the voice of interventional pain medicine in advocacy efforts organized by the AMA as a result of the percentage of IPSIS members who maintain concurrent AMA. Help guarantee the IPSIS seat at this important table by maintaining your IPSIS and AMA memberships. You can also help sustain this vital advocacy with your donations. The International Pain and Spine Intervention Society (IPSIS) is a tax exempt organization under US section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. As such, contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law.