April 6, 2026

Dear Colleagues, 

With the Mid-Year Assembly just a few weeks away, your Board of Directors and AANA advocacy team continue working to advance CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist advocacy priorities. 

Over the last month, AANA President Jeff Molter, MSN, MBA, CRNA, and the AANA advocacy team met with congressional leaders to discuss AANA’s federal policy agenda. They also met with majority and minority members of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees to discuss efforts to standardize healthcare delivery. 

In those discussions, AANA addressed comments from VA officials during the Nursing Organization of Veterans Affairs (NOVA) Annual Legislative Roundtable. Officials indicated the VA is working to better align CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist practice with state laws by facilitating licensed independent practice for those in states with full practice authority. 

Although this policy does not represent VA-wide full practice authority, AANA supports these efforts and is encouraged by this update. The initiative remains under development and subject to change; however, we see this as a step in the right direction. AANA will continue working with the VA to help ensure veterans have access to the care they deserve.  

In addition, AANA leadership and staff recently participated in two CRNA-PAC–hosted events supporting CRNA champions Lauren Underwood (D-IL-14) and Jen Kiggans (R-VA-02). These events brought together nearly 60 members of the U.S. House of Representatives from both sides of the aisle, creating valuable opportunities to discuss key healthcare priorities, including VA full practice authority, removal of supervision requirements, reimbursement, and access to federal student loans. 

As always, thank you for your support. We hope to meet many of you in person at the Mid-Year Assembly. 

Sincerely, 

The AANA Board of Directors

In This Issue

• AANA RFI Response Urges Removal of Physician Supervision Requirements and Intervening on Anticompetitive Commercial Payer Reimbursement Policies  

• Utah Enacts Prescriptive Authority for CRNAs 

• AANA Submits Energy and Commerce Statement for the Record 

• Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Releases March 2026 Report   

• Are You Registered to Vote?  

• Registration Is Open: Join Us at AANA Annual Congress 2026   

• Turn Innovation into Opportunity  

• COA, NBCRNA, and AANA Host New Program Administrators Workshop 

Advocacy Updates 

AANA RFI Response Urges Removal of Physician Supervision Requirements and Intervening on Anticompetitive Commercial Payer Reimbursement Policies

In a March 25 response to a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) request for information (RFI), AANA requested that the CMS remove Medicare supervision requirements and investigate and intervene on anticompetitive discriminatory commercial anesthesia payer policies. The RFI  asked for information on regulatory changes that might be included in a potential upcoming proposed rule related to fraud, waste, and abuse and other changes that could be implemented to make CMS more effective. As part of these comments, AANA also highlighted that unnecessary Medicare Physician supervision requirements for CRNAs and anticompetitive commercial payer policies were perpetuating the use of inefficient and wasteful medical direction payment rules. AANA also asked to meet with the agency to further discuss these recommended remedies to combat waste and inefficiencies in the healthcare system.  

Utah Enacts Prescriptive Authority for CRNAs

Utah SB 31 was enacted into law. The law authorizes CRNA prescriptive authority for up to a five-day supply of prescription drugs, including Schedule II-V controlled substances, immediately before, and immediately following, a procedure performed in a healthcare facility, physician office, or dentist office.

AANA Submits Energy and Commerce Statement for the Record

In mid-March, the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on the provider landscape and methods to lower costs for hospitals and patients. 

The AANA DC team used this opportunity to submit a statement for the record outlining the cost benefits of CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist-led care and inefficiencies in the health care system. In the statement, the legislative team urged the removal of outdated Medicare supervision requirements for CRNAs, citing statutory misalignment, inefficiency, and evidence that nonmedically directed CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist care maintains quality while improving access and lowering costs. It also called on Congress and the administration to enforce the No Surprises Act’s provider nondiscrimination provisions to curb insurer practices that reduce reimbursement for independent CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist services and undermine competition. 

Finally, it advocated for targeted investments in the nursing workforce and for advancing H.R. 3593, recognizing CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist and APRN programs as professional degrees for federal student aid, and increasing Title VIII funding to stabilize the health care pipeline and contain long-term costs. 

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Releases March 2026 Report

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) released its report on the status of the Medicare program with payment policy recommendations for Congress in March. The report notes a few top concerns, including the rapid growth of healthcare spending and the impact of healthcare workforce shortages. You can read the summary and the full report on MedPAC’s website. AANA continues to monitor these efforts and to further engage with MedPAC on key AANA priority issues. 

Are You Registered to Vote?

Primary season is underway, and the November mid-term elections will be here before you know it. Now is the time to make sure you’re ready for your voice to be heard. You can register to vote, check your voter registration status, get your options for in person and absentee voting, and see who’s on your ballot in your state and district here.  

Significant News

Registration Is Open: Join Us at AANA Annual Congress 2026

Be part of nurse anesthesiology’s largest educational event. AANA Annual Congress, Aug. 21-25, in Boston, brings CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists, residents, and RN-APRNs together to earn evidence-based CE, explore clinical advancements, and connect with peers from across the country. This year’s theme, Revolutionizing Anesthesia: From Past to Future, reflects the profession’s legacy and highlights the innovation and leadership shaping its future.   

Learn more about Annual Congress  

Turn Innovation into Opportunity

If you have an idea to improve patient outcomes, safety, or the provider experience, the Rm8 iNoV8 Pitch Competition is your chance to take it further. Open to CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists, residents, RNs, and APRNs, this competition offers the chance to pitch live at AANA Annual Congress in Boston, gain visibility with industry leaders, and compete for funding to support your idea. Selected participants also receive pitch coaching, networking, and potential investment to help bring their ideas to life. Applications close May 1. 

Learn more about the competition  

Member Highlights

COA, NBCRNA, and AANA Host New Program Administrators Workshop

The Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists, and the AANA Education and Professional Development Division co-hosted the New Program Administrators’ Workshop on March 13–14, 2026, at the Auditorium of the O’Hare International Center in Rosemont, Illinois. 

Twenty-nine program administrators and assistant program administrators attended the workshop, where they strengthened the knowledge and skills essential for effective leadership within their programs. Participants also took advantage of valuable networking opportunities, building connections with peers and sharing insights on common challenges across programs. Feedback from attendees confirmed that the workshop was well organized and highly beneficial. 

The topics covered included resources available to nurse anesthesia programs and students; certification; accreditation standards, policies, and procedures; the self-study and onsite review process; and lessons learned and insights from both new and experienced program directors. These sessions were presented by Cora Rabe, DNP, CRNA, APRN, CHSE, CPHQ, CNE, Associate Professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and John O’Donnell, DrPH, CRNA, CHSE, FSSH, FAANA, FAAN, Senior Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning at the University of Pittsburgh. 

The workshop will be held again next year in the same location at a date still to be determined. New program administrators and assistant administrators are encouraged to attend. Please contact the COA at (224) 275-9130 for additional information. 

Pictured are attendees at the New Program Administrators’ Workshop. 

Front row (left to right): Raleigh Todd, DNP, CRNA; Sheila Williamson, DNP, CRNA; Christopher Frazier, DNAP, APRN, CRNA; Suzanne Ariza, PhD, CRNA; Mary Crouse, DNP, APRN, CRNA, RRT; Deanna Villalino, DNAP, CRNA; Janet Vaughn, DNAP, CRNA; Susan Krawczyk, DNP, APRN, CRNA; Lindsay Williams, DNP, CRNA; Kathryn Foster, DNAP, CRNA; Denise Stuit, DNP, CRNA; Jessica Ann Hessel, DNP, CRNA; Louisa Dasher Martin, PhD, CRNA; Cora Rabe, DNP, CRNA, CHSE, CPHQ 

Second row (left to right): John O’Donnell, DrPH, MSN, RN, CRNA, CHSE, FSSH, FAANA, FAAN; Jennifer Krogh, DNP, CRNA; Herman Abuchowski, DNAP, CRNA; Angella Ruley, DNP, CRNA, NP-C; Joseph Kiesznowski, PhD, CRNA;, Carrie Leighow, DNP, CRNA; Daniel Bell, DNP, CRNA; Elise LeBrun, DNAP, CRNA, CHSE; Craig Atkins, DNP, CRNA, FAANA; Charles Myers, DNP, MSN, CRNA; M. Hunter Speeg, DNAP, BSN, CRNA; Brian Foster, DNAP, APRN, CRNA; Daniel Graves, DNP, MSN, CRNA; Michael Neft, PhD, DNP, MHA, CRNA, FNAP, FAANA, FAAN; Andrew Ramaley, DNAP, CRNA; Lindsay Mason, DNP, CRNA; Jennifer Harrison, CRNA, DNP 

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