One Small Step to Improve Healthcare: New at Reason

Government should let nurse practitioners do more in providing healthcare.

A Barton Hinkle writes:

For several years now the country has been arguing over Obamacare, which sought to fix just about everything that’s wrong with health care all at once. To put it gently, the effort failed. In the meantime, the nation has missed opportunities to make changes that are smaller—and better.

For instance, one single, simple change could …

1. Help alleviate the shortage of doctors in areas where doctors are too scarce.

2. Lower the cost of routine health care.

3. Get more medical care to more people, in more convenient venues.

4. Enable doctors to spend more time with their sickest patients.

5. And even help mitigate income inequality.

The change? Relax state regulations to let advanced-practice nurses do more.

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