The ANA, or American Nurses Association, is a national professional organization for registered nurses. The ANA's mission statement is “Nurses advance our profession to improve health for all” (). The organization's stakeholders are registered nurses who have joined the ANA directly or are members of affiliated organizations or state nursing associations. These affiliated organizations must be national nursing organizations that meet criteria established by the ANA House of Delegates and are granted affiliated organization status by the ANA Board of Directors (). The ANA plays a very active role in influencing health laws and regulations. The ANA lobbies Congress and other agencies on issues that affect nurses and the general public. In addition to this, the ANA advocates for the rights of nurses in the workplace and promotes high standards of nursing practice. Their position on health care reform can be found on their website, which states that while the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will provide the public with greater access to preventative services and protect them from loss of insurance, the health care debate is not over and the organization will. continue to promote nurses and take measures to ensure the successful implementation of health care reform ().Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay One bill in Congress that the ANA is currently supporting is the Home Health Care Planning Improvement Act (HR 2504). This bill was introduced in the House on June 26, 2013, by Representatives Greg Walden (R-OR) and Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), and referred to the House Health Subcommittee. This bill would revise the conditions and payment limits for home health care services so that nurse practitioners and physician assistants can certify Medicaid patients for home health care and sign health care plans at home. residence (). Home health care has been associated with better outcomes and lower costs (). Access to home care keeps patients away from long-term care facilities (). This bill will expand the scope of practice of ACRNs to provide better access to home care. The issue this policy addresses is that currently, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, who operate as primary health care providers for many patients, cannot refer a Medicare patient for home health care. The laws governing Medicare reimbursement are complex. But this bill seeks to address the issue that the home health agency would not be reimbursed if it was recommended by an NP or PA. Currently, under Social Security law, a patient must meet with a doctor in person to receive a recommendation for home care. This causes delays in treatment and creates an unnecessary burden on Medicare patients. The majority of Medicare beneficiaries are over 65 years old. Beneficiaries under 65 are disabled. These patients may not have easy access to a doctor. By allowing NPs to recommend home care, these patients will not have delays in treatment and may achieve better outcomes..