US nurses urge Donald Trump to ensure affordable healthcare for all

Members of 40 US nursing organisations are urging president Donald Trump to ensure all patients can access affordable healthcare.

The appeal was made as politicians consider legislation to change or repeal the Obamacare law, which extended health cover to 22 million people.

Patients must be able to access healthcare regardless of preexisting health conditions and should be able to have that care delivered by the provider of their choice, including nurses practitioners and clinical nurse specialists, the organisations which represent 3.5million nurses stated.

Commitments to strengthen the healthcare workforce must also be maintained, according to the groups which include the American Nurses Association and the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Immediate dismantling

President Trump signed an executive order to begin the process of dismantling the Affordable Care Act, one of former president Barack Obama’s signature achievements, hours after taking office in January.

There had been suggestions that it could be repealed by the end of March, but president Trump recently said it could be 2018 before a replacement to Obamacare is in place.

Members of the union National Nurses United (NNU) gathered in 40 US cities ahead of president Trump’s inauguration, demanding access needs to be widened to Medicare, the federal health insurance programme, if plans to scrap Obamacare go ahead.

NNU co-president Deborah Burger said then: ‘Nurses are saying now is the time to move forward with Medicare for all.’

Further information

Nursing in the Trump era

In other news

• NMC reveals latest revalidation figures
• Award for quick-thinking nurses who tackled fire