Nurse Practitioner Bill Fails in Committee
On behalf of the California Medical Association (CMA) and the Coalition for Patient Access and Quality Care, CMA President Paul R. Phinney, MD, issued the following statement after SB 491 failed to pass out of the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection:
“The 37,000 members of CMA and the dozens of groups aligned in the Coalition for Patient Access and Quality Care applaud the members of the Assembly Committee on Business, Professions, and Consumer Protection for their work today. SB 491 would have allowed nurse practitioners to practice medicine far beyond their training, putting patients in harm’s way.
“There was a good, robust conversation about the need to expand access to care for patients across California, and we look forward to continuing to work with Senator Hernandez and the rest of the state legislature to address those issues.
“Despite what some proponents of the bill may have said, SB 491 would not have expanded access to care; it simply would have further fragmented the healthcare delivery system and increased costs for patients across the state. “
The Coalition includes:
The California Medical Association represents more than 37,000 physicians in all modes of practice and specialties. CMA is dedicated to the health of all patients in California.