Nursing News: Can Nurses Become a Valuable Source of Revenue?

By Nurse Blake

Instead of being an expense to cut, could nurses become a valuable source of revenue?

WHY NURSES CAN'T BILL FOR THEIR SERVICES

Did you know that nurses are the only healthcare professionals who can't bill for their services? Doctors and many healthcare professionals can charge for their time and expertise, but nurses are left out of the billing equation. But it wasn’t always like that.

Let's take a quick trip back in time. In the early 1900s, nurses were running their own shows. They had independent careers, billed for their services just like doctors, and were a force to be reckoned with. But then the 1930s rolled around, bringing insurance companies and a new hospital financial model. Hospitals decided to change things. They moved nursing from a billable service to a hidden fee in the room charge.

Fast forward to today, and here's what we've got: When you look at a hospital bill, you won't see a line for nursing care. Instead, it's bundled into the room rate, kind of like those little mints on your pillow at a hotel. Except instead of mints, you're getting life-saving care. Seems like quite the upgrade, doesn't it?

While every other healthcare professional gets to show off their value with a nice, clear bill, nurses are left in the shadows.

WHY IT MATTERS (NOT JUST A NUMBERS GAME)

So what? It's just a billing thing, right? Not quite! This has some serious ripple effects.

Currently, hospitals get reimbursed the same amount whether they have one nurse caring for nine patients or one nurse caring for five. There's no financial incentive to have more nurses on staff, even if it means better patient care. So, when hospitals need to cut costs, guess what looks like an easy target? Yep, that "overhead" nursing care. And what happens? You guessed it: understaffing and overworked nurses.

With nursing care hidden in the overall costs, hospitals have less incentive to invest in new care models or advanced training for nurses.

We're seeing nurses leave the profession in droves, and it's not hard to see why. When your work is undervalued, and you're constantly asked to do more with less, burnout is practically guaranteed. Something's got to give!

With nursing care hidden in the overall costs, hospitals have less incentive to invest in new care models or advanced training for nurses. This can limit innovation and career growth opportunities.

FLIPPING THE SCRIPT

Enter the Commission for Nurse Reimbursement! Founded in 2023 by two nurses, Rebecca Love and Sharon Pearce, this organization is on a mission to shake things up.

What's their deal? In a nutshell, they're aiming to change how nursing care is viewed and reimbursed. Their goal is to flip the script on how hospitals see nursing from a financial perspective. It's a bold move, but they believe it could help solve the nursing shortage that's been giving just about everyone headaches.

Nursing services don't currently bring in direct revenue for hospitals. We're the backbone of healthcare, but financially invisible. When budgets get tight, nursing staff and resources often feel the squeeze first. It's a model that doesn't reflect the true value of what we do and makes it tough for hospitals to justify investing more in nursing care.

So, they want to turn nursing from an “overhead cost” into a billable service.

Think about it: if hospitals could bill for nursing care, it might change how they view nurses altogether. Instead of being an expense to cut, nurses could become a valuable source of revenue. It's a total flip of the current model, and it could be a game-changer for our profession.

IS THIS THE LONG AWAITED ANSWER?

Let's break down the good and not-so-good parts of this potential change.

On the plus side, it could finally give nursing the recognition it deserves as a skilled profession. Imagine seeing "Nursing Care" as a line item on a hospital bill! That's not just about dollars and cents, it's about acknowledging the real value nurses bring to the table. This kind of recognition could do wonders for the profession, potentially attracting more people to nursing and keeping the ones we've got.

NURSING REIMBURSEMENT

Want to dive deeper into the nursing reimbursement issue?

Check out these resources:

• AAACN & Commission for Nurse Reimbursement Announce a Strategic Partnership to Advance Nursing Value and Revenue Generation
• It's Time! The Path for Nursing Reimbursement Reform
• Modernizing nurse reimbursement models for a more sustainable nursing workforce
• Emerging Nurse Billing and Reimbursement Models

Of course, it could also lead to better staffing and working conditions. If hospitals can bill for and get reimbursed for nursing services, they might be more inclined to staff adequately. Fewer patients per nurse? Yes, please!

There's also the potential for more innovation and specialization in nursing. With billing power comes the opportunity for growth. Hospitals might invest more in nursing education and specialties. We could see some exciting new nursing roles emerge!

But this potential might also ruffle some feathers! First, this could drive up healthcare costs. More itemized billing could mean higher hospital bills, which is the last thing patients want to hear.

There's also the worry that implementing a new billing system would be complex, to say the least. Healthcare billing is already a maze; adding nursing care billing to the mix could be a real head-scratcher, at least initially.

And let's not forget about potential resistance from hospitals and insurance companies. Change is hard, especially when it affects the bottom line. We can definitely expect some pushback from the powers that be.

And here's some food for thought: Could this mean more work for nurses? We might need to document our time more stringently or deal with more detailed paperwork. It's a question worth asking, even if we don't have all the answers yet.

Despite the challenges, many nurses believe the potential benefits outweigh the drawbacks. What do you think? Is this the revolution nursing needs, or are we opening a can of worms?

WHAT NOW?

This whole nursing reimbursement shake-up sounds great. It’s pretty new to most of us (unless you were around in the 1920s, which means you paper charted!!). Some of you might be ready to dive in headfirst, while others might be thinking, “Hmm, let’s see where this goes.” Both reactions are totally valid.

Whether you’re all in or just curious, stay informed! Knowledge is truly power, y’all! Take some time to learn about the Commission for Nursing Reimbursement and its goals. They held their inaugural Legislative Summit in June. Listen to the recap to get up to speed on the issues.

It’s always good to know what’s brewing in the nursing world, even if you’re not quite ready to join the movement. You just might find it more interesting than you expected.

It's not just about dollars and cents, it's about acknowledging the real value nurses bring to the table.

For those of you fired up and ready to take action, here are some ways to get involved:

• Spread the word. Most people have no clue about this billing quirk. Time to change that! Chat with your colleagues, patients, and anyone else who’ll listen. You never know who might become our next ally.
• Advocate. Your voice matters more than you might think. Reach out to your representatives and let them know why this issue matters. Don’t forget about nursing organizations either; they can be powerful megaphones for our causes.
• Support the cause. If you’re feeling motivated, consider volunteering your time or connecting with organizations working on this issue.

Stay informed, keep the dialogue going, and see where this potential change might lead us.

Sources:
Commission for Nurse Reimbursement. (2023, April 12). Commission founded to create economic model for nursing reimbursement-creating a sustainable model for the nursing profession. GlobeNewswire News Room.