- A bill aimed at allowing nurse practitioners to work on their own is being touted in the state capital
- Senate Bill 25 would give nurse practitioners full practice authority
- State Sen. Lisa Boscola supports for the bill
HARRISBURG, Pa. — Legislation aimed at increasing access to health care in Pennsylvania has once again been introduced in the state Senate.
A Lehigh Valley lawmaker is backing the bill, which would grant nurse practitioners full practice authority.
State Sen. Lisa Boscola, a Democrat whose 18th District covers parts of Lehigh and Northampton counties, supports Senate Bill 25, which would let nurse practitioners see patients without having a signed collaborative agreement with two doctors.
“Senate Bill 25 addresses the primary care shortage that we have and ensures that patients receive quality care by striking a balance with nurse practitioners,” Boscola said at a news conference Tuesday.
“Nurse practitioners offer that care and sometimes even better care, because they have more time to spend with you.”
Boscola said the bill has been brought up and passed in the State Senate over the past eight to 10 years, but failed in the House.
“This would really help people in my area, in the Lehigh Valley, and across the Commonwealth gain better quality, affordable health care."State Sen. Lisa Boscola, (D-Lehigh/Northampton)
Now, she said, a similar bill is being introduced in the House.
She was in Harrisburg on Tuesday talking about the importance of passing it.
“This would really help people in my area, in the Lehigh Valley, and across the Commonwealth gain better quality, affordable health care,” Boscola said.
'A dearth of physicians'
SB 25 would let nurse practitioners gain independence after three years or 3,600 hours with a physician. They currently need a signed collaborative agreement with two doctors and often have to pay thousands in monthly fees to get it.
Boscola was joined by the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners in the Capitol to rally for the bill to pass.
"It really does restrict our practice because if we can't find two physicians to sign this agreement, then we can't practice,” said Kathy Gray, a certified registered nurse practitioner from Bethlehem.
Gray also is part of the Pennsylvania Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and served as the president of the Lehigh Valley Association of Nurse Practitioners for 10 years.
"This would definitely improve access to care, especially in rural Pennsylvania. There’s a dearth of physicians in primary care and nurse practitioners are filling that void, but many of them are unable to provide care because they can't find physicians to sign this collaborative agreement.”Kathy Gray, certified registered nurse practitioner from Bethlehem
"This would definitely improve access to care, especially in rural Pennsylvania,” Gray said.
“There’s a dearth of physicians in primary care and nurse practitioners are filling that void, but many of them are unable to provide care because they can't find physicians to sign this collaborative agreement.”
Gray said the Pennsylvania Medical Societyis opposing this bill.
Twenty-seven other states have passed laws allowing nurse practitioners to practice independently.
Utah was the most recent state to pass such a law in March of 2023.
