Authorizes as a pilot program certified nurse practitioners to provide care and treatment to injured employees in workers' compensation cases

Title of bill

An act to amend the workers' compensation law, in relation to authorizing as a pilot program certified nurse practitioners to provide certain care and treatment to injured employees; and providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof

Purpose

To create a pilot project which would allow injured employees to select duly authorized nurse practitioners to provide treatment under the workers' compensation law.

Summary of provisions

Section 1. Adds a new Section 13-p to the Workers' Compensation Law, to permit authorized nurse practitioners to treat injured employees, prescribe procedures for nurse practitioner authorization to provide treatment under the workers' compensation law, provide procedures for nurse practitioners to collect payment, and otherwise regulate the provision of care to injured employees by nurse practitioners.

Section 2. Amends Section one hundred forty-one of the Workers' Compensation Law, to give the Chairman the authority to revoke a nurse practitioner's authorization to provide care under Section 13-p of the Workers' Compensation Law.

Section 3: Amends Section two hundred seventeen of the Workers' Compensation Law, to allow nurse practitioners to provide proof of disability under the Workers' Compensation Law.

Section 4: Amends Section two hundred five of the Workers' Compensation Law, to add nurse practitioners to the list of those who may treat an injured employee under the Workers' Compensation Law.

Section 5: Amends Section two hundred twenty of the Workers' Compensation Law, to authorize the Chairman to remove a nurse practitioner from the list of those authorized to provide care under the Workers' Compensation Law if a statement of disability submitted to an employer or carrier or chairman in connection with any claim for disability benefits under the Workers' Compensation Law is not truthful and complete.

Section 6: Amends Section two hundred thirty-two of the Workers' Compensation Law, by allowing nurse practitioners to collect fees for testimony given under Section 13-p.

Section 7: Is the effective date and sunset of December 31, 2014.

Existing law

New bill

Justification

Although nurse practitioners are licensed to provide care to patients in New York State under the provisions of Education Law Subsection 6910, injured employees cannot be treated by a nurse practitioner under existing provisions of the Workers' Compensation Law, An injured employee whose primary care provider is a nurse practitioner must seek treatment from an unknown physician or other health care professionals when receiving treatment under the Workers' Compensation Law.

This bill will allow nurse practitioners to provide the same level of care to injured employees under the Workers' Compensation Law that nurse practitioners provide to all other patients. A recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association affirmed the high level of care provided by nurse practitioners, finding that patients treated by nurse practitioners achieve the same health outcomes as patients treated by other health care professionals. These results confirm the value and high level of care provided by nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners should be an option to injured employees receiving treatment under the Workers' Compensation Law.

This bill will not add costs to the Workers' Compensation system. This bill does not add coverage for any sort of new procedure. Instead, it simply permits an otherwise qualified health care professional to provide the same sorts of service already available.

Legislative history

This is a new bill.

Fiscal implications

None.

Local fiscal implications

None.

Effective date

Immediately and to expire December 31, 2014.