<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3qL048_1FFswvQf00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3qL048_1FFswvQf00" width="1200" height="600" ><p>MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - South Carolina nurse practitioners are pushing for a coalition to treat patients on their own. </p><p>In 37 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, nurse practitioners can treat patients by themselves.</p><p>In many states, nurse practitioners can evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications for patients without a doctor’s oversight. In South Carolina, nurse practitioners cannot practice or write prescriptions unless they have a formal written agreement with a collaborating physician, and it must be renewed every year.</p><p>“So, our main goal really is to discuss our full practice bill here at the conference, which is about independent practice for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwife, and our clinical nurse specialist,” Dr. Stephanie Burgess of the Coalition for Access to Health Care said.</p><h2>Cost of collaboration agreements</h2><p>Some advanced practice nurses are paying as much as $5,000 a month to a physician collaborator, according to Burgess.</p><p>“Some of our nurse practitioners and nurse midwives in the state are having to pay a physician collaborator to sign an agreement with us once a year, and some of them are paying as much as a thousand dollars a month,” Burgess said. “I think we had one that was paying $5,000 a month, but it ranges anywhere from $300 to $1,000 to $5,000.”</p><p>If a collaborating physician retires, moves away, or dies, a nurse practitioner can be barred from working for months until a new physician signs an agreement.</p><p>“The issue is, if you have a collaborating physician in order to practice, and the physician retires, or god forbid passes away, or decides they don’t want to do that anymore, then we can’t see patients, and that’s an impediment to access to care,” Burgess said. “Plus it impinges on my right to work, so now I can’t even work and earn a living.”</p><h2>Bill aimed at expanding access</h2><p>The Coalition for Access to Health Care plans to re-file its full practice authority bill in the 2027 legislative session. The bill covers independent practice for nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives and clinical nurse specialists.</p><p>“The South Carolina Department of Revenue and Finance reports that the ten top reasons people go to the emergency room is for primary care complaints, costing taxpayers millions of dollars,” Burgess said.</p><p>Burgess said the coalition has backing from several organizations and expects to move the bill forward in the next legislative session.</p><p>“We have support from Prisma Health, AARP, Blue Cross Blue Shield, the Federal Trade Commission, the Pharmacy Retail Association, the Hospice Association, numerous groups,” Burgess said. “The bill did not progress; we did have some opposition from one particular group, but we’re hoping with all of those other key players on board that we can move the bill forward and achieve what we’ve been looking for, to help our patients and increase access.”</p><h2>Temporary independence during COVID-19</h2><p>South Carolina granted full independence to advanced practice nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic under an emergency order that expired at the end of 2023. Advocates are now pushing state lawmakers to make that independence permanent.</p><p>Physician groups have opposed similar measures in the past, arguing doctors complete additional years of clinical residency and that physician oversight protects patient safety.</p><p><i>Feel more informed, prepared, and connected with WMBF. For more free content like this,</i> <i>download our apps.</i> <i>Have feedback that can help us improve?</i> <i>Click here.</i></p></div></body>

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MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - South Carolina nurse practitioners are pushing for a coalition to treat patients on their own. In 37 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, nurse practitioners can treat patients by themselves. In many states, nurse practitioners can evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe...

SC nurse practitioners push for independent practice authority

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MYRTLE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - South Carolina nurse practitioners are pushing for a coalition to treat patients on their own. In 37 states, Washington, D.C., an

SC nurse practitioners push for independent practice authority

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