ANA's Statement on American Rescue Plan - March 10, 2021
Read ANA's response to the American Rescue Plan to combat COVID-19 and address employment and other economic issues, including numerous priorities for nursing.
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (H.R. 1319)
March 10, 2021 – President Biden is set to sign into law legislation that provides $1.9 trillion for a host of priorities to continue to combat COVID19 as well address employment and other economic issues. The legislation includes numerous priorities ANA has advocated for, including addressing nurses’ mental health, testing and vaccine efforts, workforce, and improving our nation’s crumbling public health infrastructure. Some of these provisions include:
- $80 million for substance use disorder training for health care professionals, including nurses;
- $20 million for education and awareness campaigns encouraging healthy work conditions and use of mental health and substance use disorder services for health care professionals;
- $40 million in grant funding for healthcare providers to promote mental health among the health professional workforce;
- $200 million for the Nurse Corps to support scholarships and loan repayment for students, nurses, and advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who work in areas that need them the most;
- $7.6 billion for testing and vaccinations at community health centers; and
- $6 billion to purchase vaccines and therapeutic medicines.
- $7.66 billion for the public health workforce, including public health nurses;
Other provisions of the American Rescue Plan Act provides funding for:
- Medical Reserve Corps;
- Community health centers and community care; and
- National Health Service Corps.
While the legislation addresses many critical issues, ANA will continue to monitor the roll out of these provisions. Although the production of the approved vaccines is ahead of schedule, Congress and the Administration need to work with states on the effective deployment plans. This includes making sure states have enough trained vaccinators in enough locations to ensure rapid uptake in vaccinations. It also includes a comprehensive federal public relations and education plan that includes peer-to-peer education to help Americans learn why they should want the vaccine as soon as possible. ANA is committed to remain a partner with Congress and the Administration as we continue to battle the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. For more information, please contact gova@ana.org.
