June 1, 2026

Dear Colleagues, 

As we move into the final quarter of MY2027, we remain committed to ensuring the voices of CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists are heard wherever decisions affecting the future of our profession and the healthcare workforce are made.

We have important news regarding AANA’s response to the Department of Education's (ED's) decision to exclude advanced nursing degrees from professional degree status. On Friday, May 29, AANA joined the American Nurses Association (ANA) and other partners in a nursing-focused legal action challenging ED’s final rule.

Read the joint press release.

Learn more about the lawsuit in the first Advocacy Update below and stay tuned for further updates via our newsletters and social media channels. You can also find all of our resources on student loan issues on this webpage. 

The Votes Are In!

The AANA 2026 (MY2027) election results are in, with more than 6,000 ballots cast. Congratulations to the newly elected members of the MY27 Board of Directors, Bylaws and Resolutions Committee, and Leadership Identification Committee. Thank you to all candidates who participated and members who voted in the election. We are pleased to see voter participation increase by more than 2,000 members this year. Your involvement keeps AANA and our profession strong. 

We value your input on this process. Please complete this brief survey by June 19, 2026, to share your feedback on the 2026 Election. 

Thank you for supporting your profession, your colleagues, and your professional association.

Sincerely, 

The AANA Board of Directors

In This Issue

• AANA Joins Nursing Focused Lawsuit Against Department of Education’s Student Loan Caps Rule 
• Merkley, Wicker Launch Bipartisan Effort to Overturn New Limits on Student Loans for Nurses
• 25 States File Lawsuit Challenging Graduate Student Loan Limits
• Applications Open for AANA Representative to IFNA

Advocacy Updates 

AANA Joins Nursing Focused Lawsuit Against Department of Education’s Student Loan Caps Rule

Despite months of advocacy from CRNAs across the country proving that nurse anesthesia programs qualify as professional degrees, the Department of Education (ED) on May 1 finalized a rule misclassifying future CRNAs are graduate students. This would subject future RRNAs to the lower cap of $20,500 per year or $100,000 in aggregate. AANA remains committed to fighting this misclassification via all possible routes. That is why on Friday, May 29, AANA joined the American Nurses Association (ANA) and other nursing organizations and allied partners in a nursing focused legal action challenging ED’s final rule.

Filed in federal court in Massachusetts, the lawsuit asks the court to stop this misclassification of advanced nursing degrees before the rule goes into effect on July 1. The lawsuit argues that ED’s wrongful exclusion of advanced nursing degrees from the professional degree definition violates the law, exceeds ED’s authority, and that ED failed to take the impact on the future nursing workforce into account during their rulemaking.  

Additionally, AANA’s advocacy continues beyond the courtroom. FGA continues working with congressional partners to advance legislative solutions that properly designate post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as professional degrees, giving appropriate access to federal student lending for advanced practice nursing students. 

AANA has endorsed two bipartisan bills aimed at correcting this harmful and misguided policy, and member advocacy remains critical.

Legislators still need to hear directly from CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists, RRNAs, and supporters of advanced nursing education that protecting access to student loans is essential to sustaining the future healthcare workforce and ensuring patients continue to receive the care they need. Take action today by contacting your legislators and asking them to cosponsor these bills today! 

Merkley, Wicker Launch Bipartisan Effort to Overturn New Limits on Student Loans for Nurses

On May 19, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) introduced a new bill in response to a decision by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) that fails to classify post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees,” imposing stricter limits on federal student loans for nurses.

The bipartisan Nursing is a Professional Degree Act provides a simple fix and guarantees nursing students pursuing post-baccalaureate nursing programs can access affordable student loans. More specifically, this bill classifies post-baccalaureate nursing degrees as “professional degrees. Read the press release. 

25 States File Lawsuit Challenging Graduate Student Loan Limits

On Tuesday, May 19, a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia sued the Department of Education over their proposed rule implementing student loan limits, arguing that restrictions will worsen the healthcare workforce shortage. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Maryland, comes three weeks after the Department finalized its rule that misclassifies nurse anesthesia and most health profession programs as graduate instead of professional degrees. The complaint points to the specific impact this will have on healthcare workforce shortages and access to care for patients in rural and underserved communities. 

Louisiana Enacts Payment Parity Legislation

Louisiana SB 275 was signed into law, providing that services personally performed by a CRNA without medical direction must be reimbursed at the same amount as when performed by a physician. The Louisiana Association of Nurse Anesthetists actively lobbied for this bill.  

Oklahoma Enacts Law to Consider Additional Factors in Calculating Service Necessity and Benefit Payment Amounts

Oklahoma enacted SB 1443, requiring that health benefit plans consider the assessment of patient physical status, including the use of physical status modifiers, and the complexity and urgency of care, as factors towards calculating the necessity of services and calculation of benefit payment amounts for anesthesia services. The Oklahoma Association of Nurse Anesthetists supported this bill.  

Significant News

Applications Open for AANA Representative to IFNA

After serving as the AANA representative and in leadership roles in the International Federation of Nurse Anesthetists (IFNA) for 16 years, with the last 12 years as president, Jackie Rowles, DNP, CRNA, NSPM-C, FAANA, FAAN, has accepted the position of IFNA Executive Director. (Congratulations, Jackie!) This leaves a vacancy for the United States country representative, provided by AANA. The AANA Representative to IFNA serves as the official liaison between the AANA and IFNA and works collaboratively with international colleagues to support the advancement of nurse anesthesia worldwide.

Eligible applicants must be Active Members of the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology (AANA) in good standing, a CRNA/nurse anesthesiologist in good standing, hold a minimum master's degree education, and have at least 10 years of experience as a CRNA. Leadership roles, within and outside of AANA, and demonstrated global or international engagement (e.g., education, collaboration, policy, or professional partnerships; short-term mission work alone is not sufficient) are required for consideration. The AANA encourages qualified members with a passion for leadership, advocacy, and global engagement to apply.

Applications for consideration for this position are open through June 30, 2026. Additional information about the opportunity and the required submission materials are available online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/IFNA-AANA-Rep.

The Nurse Anesthesiology International Engagement & Representation Review Task Force will review and rank applications using a standardized evaluation process, with final approval by the AANA Board of Directors. For additional questions, please contact Task Force Chair Jan Setnor, MSN, CRNA, Col. (Ret), USAFR, NC, at jancrna@hotmail.com or staff liaison Erin Ransford, AANA Director of Executive Programs, at eransford@aana.com. 

The following is an FEC required legal notification for CRNA-PAC. Gifts to political action committees are not tax deductible. Contributions to CRNA-PAC are for political purposes. All contributions to CRNA-PAC are voluntary. You may refuse to contribute without reprisal. The guidelines are merely suggestions. You are free to contribute more or less than the guidelines suggest and the association will not favor or disadvantage you by reason of the amount contributed or the decision not to contribute. Federal law requires CRNA-PAC to use its best efforts to collect and report the name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of the employer of individuals whose contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year. Each contributor must be a US Citizen.