A new healthcare reform bill initially proposed by Barack Obama has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives. Though some of the effects won’t be seen for several months or even years, this bill marks a major change in the healthcare system of the United States. Not since Medicare was created in 1965 has the U.S. experienced such a significant shift in the healthcare offered to the American public.
As Obama tackles healthcare for the nation, many groups of people are affected by the new laws being put into place. For example, the healthcare laws will raise the funding for the National Health Service Corps, a program which sends workers in the medical and dental fields into areas with a shortage of healthcare professionals. In fact, eliminating the shortage of registered nurses and other healthcare employees is the goal of many of the new laws put into effect by the new bill. Part of this will be accomplished through an increase in financial aid for nurses, physician assistants, mental health providers and primary care physicians in the form of scholarships and loan repayment. Nursing schools can also receive some financial aid through the new bill; grants will be awarded to some schools in order to strengthen their nursing programs and improve student retention.
Additional employment opportunities may be brought about by the expansion of healthcare to underserved populations. New school health centers will be available on school campuses across the nation. The centers will be staffed by nurses and offer uninsured students the opportunity to receive important medical care. Nurse practitioners will also be able to manage clinics which provide preventative and primary care to patients; this will help increase the health care options in areas where there is a shortage of doctors and primary care physicians.
As a result of Obama tackling healthcare, nurses can expect to see significant changes within their field. In an effort to provide healthcare to many millions of people who were previously uninsured, nurses may be utilized more than ever to help care for sick patients. Meanwhile, grant and scholarship programs will ensure that more Americans are brought into the healthcare workforce through financial aid and strong education programs.
