Reimbursement barriers and issues that hinder or prevent Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs): What are steps APNs must take to increase the likelihood for reimbursement?

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' In addition to the stresses and the difficulties experienced by nurses in treating patients, getting reimbursed as a nurse practitioner can be an additional challenge. Taking defensive mechanisms to ensure payment is essential for APNs when navigating the thorny path of the medical insurance bureaucracy.

Government insurance programs like Medicare and Medicaid usually have fairly standardized policies for reimbursement for physician services performed by nurse practitioners. However, different private health plans often vary considerably, and it is essential that the APN understands what type of plan she is dealing with before embarking upon treatment. Even when dealing with Medicare, the nurse must remember that Medicare reimbursement only occurs when there is a collaborative agreement with a...
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