Lawmakers hear hours of testimony on bill to grant nurse practitioners independent practice

The Michigan House Health Policy Committee spent its session hearing remaining testimony on House Bill 43 99, a proposal to make physician collaborative agreements for advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs or nurse practitioners) voluntary and effectively grant full practice authority. The committee did not take a vote after multiple hours of testimony for and against the bill.

Supporters told the panel the bill would reduce barriers that now limit where and how nurse practitioners can work. Cassie Thierfelder, manager of advocacy for AARP Michigan, told the committee the change would expand access and reduce costs: "This bill would improve access to that care," she said, citing lower hospitalization rates in states with full practice authority. Tyra Evans, chief operating officer of Authority Health Detroit, said collaborative agreements often function as "bureaucratic, red tape" that can limit a health center’s use of nurse practitioners and delay routine treatments for patients in underserved communities.

Opponents — including several physician…