Nurse Walkout Highlights Conflict With Hospitals and Health Insurance Plans Ideally, all interests in the health care system should work together towards a common goal: the welfare of the patient. Unfortunately, nurses have been pitted against hospitals and the health insurance industry. The Obama administration's healthcare reform legislation will squeeze insurers and hospitals alike. Medicare payments to facilities are set to be cut over the next several years, and private health plans are set to follow suit. In order to prepare for these changes, many hospitals are looking for ways to maintain their margins. One of the most common methods is through staff cuts. Nurses, being on the front lines of providing health care services, are largely vulnerable. Nursing unions in Minnessota and other states are going on strike to protest staffing cuts. While they are certainly concerned about their own pay and benefits, some hospitals may take their cost cutting too far and put patients at...
This is my blog that will highlight current issues, trends and policies affecting Nurse Practitioners and the health care system today.