Ending scope-of-practice restrictions linked to lower Medicare costs

Researchers estimate eliminating scope-of-practice (SOP) restrictions on nurse practitioners (NPs) could produce total annual Medicare cost savings of $44.5 billion in 2013 dollars. The study, which appeared in the November/December issue of Nursing Economic$, employed a multivariate regression model to analyze 2010 and 2012 county-level data from Area Health Resources Files compiled by the Health Resources and Services Administration. The model suggests lifting SOP restrictions would result in an average annual Medicare cost savings of $2.19 billion in restricted-practice states and $1.07 billion in states with reduced practice. “Empirical results show that eliminating restrictions significantly reduces Medicare costs statistically, suggesting the need for increased participation of NPs in primary care to ensure access, patient safety, and quality of care at reduced cost,” the researchers conclude.