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Advocacy ![]() In the Courts: Per DiemsNATHO financially backed, funded, and submitted an Amicus Brief addressing the ongoing litigation issues around per diems and travel healthcare companies' increased legal exposure regarding compliance with both the Fair Labor Standards Act and the IRS’s accountable plan regulations. We worked closely with a group of experienced attorneys to create and submit the best brief that truly represents what is best and right by our industry.Legislative Priority: National LicensureThe NATHO Clinical Executive Committee recognized the nursing shortage that has been prevalent for years became an even bigger issue as COVID-19 began to sweep over the country. This inspired the committee to push harder for the idea of a national licensure model. If this is an idea you back, join us by downloading the Building a Culture of Safety: A National License Model white paper below. Read it, share it, and advocate for the message. Current Status: TREAT ActU.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) along with Representative Bob Latta (OH-05) and Representative Debbie Bingell (MI-12) in the U.S. House of Representative, re-introduced legislation that allows any health care professional in good standing with a valid practitioners' license to render services - including telehealth - anywhere for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, health care professionals must maintain licenses in each state in which they render services. While most states have expanded licensing rules and reciprocity, their actions have been varied, inconsistent, and time limited, which has created licensing barriers to a comprehensive COVID-19 response. The Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act would provide temporary licensing reciprocity for all practitioners or professionals, including those who treat both physical and mental health conditions, in all states for all types of services (in-person and telehealth) during the COVID-19 response. If you are interested in following the status of this act, the Association of Cancer Institutes has created a free Legislation Tracker. |
How can you help? Write your Legislators:The Association of American Cancer Institutes has created a tool that allows you to easily and quickly write your legislators in order to support the TREAT Act.Below is a template of the messages' body that you can copy and paste in the tool above to send your support in connection to NATHO.I am writing today on behalf of the National Association of Travel Healthcare Organizations, healthcare organizations across the nation and hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals to ask you to co-sponsor the Temporary Reciprocity to Ensure Access to Treatment (TREAT) Act (S. 168/H.R. 708). This bipartisan legislation will allow any licensed health care provider in good standing to render services-including telehealth visits-in all states for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a commonsense solution to address the patchwork of state licensure laws that prevent or delay clinicians from providing virtual and in-person care to patients across state lines. At this crucial moment in the COVID-19 pandemic, this temporary flexibility is critical to patients that need care. Specifically, the TREAT Act would:
Telemedicine and ability for health professionals to practice across state lines has been a lifeline for many during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you will consider co-sponsorship of this critical piece of public health legislation. Thank you for your consideration. Companies can:
Individuals can:
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