The Promoting Access to Diabetic Shoes Act was introduced in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives by Sens. Brown (D-OH) and Collins (R-ME) and Reps. Blumenauer (D-OR) and LaHood (R-IL). It seeks to allow patients to continue receiving care from their health provider by authorising Nurse Practitioners to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes.
Currently, nurse practitioners (NPs) treating Medicare patients in need of diabetic shoes must refer them to a physician who can certify that need. This legislation would allow patients to continue receiving care from their chosen health care provider by authorizing NPs to certify their patients’ need for diabetic shoes.
According to the President of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, April Kapu: “This legislation would streamline health care delivery, ensuring that patients with diabetes receive the care they need when they need it — from their provider of choice. We thank Senators Brown and Collins as well as Representatives Blumenauer and LaHood for their efforts and look forward to the passage of this legislation.”
Advocacy Action: If there’s a mechanism in your Parliament to introduce a bill that can get an issue debated, or even officially responded to by the government, there are many ideas that you could propose. Working with your national diabetes association, or other patient representative group, can lead to public support and promotion of the issue you wish to raise.