September 16, 2024

Dear Colleagues,

We’re already a few weeks into September, and the future—in the form of the 2024 national elections—is coming at us fast! Now is the time to make sure you’re ready for your voice to be heard.  

• Make Sure You’re Registered to Vote! You can register to vote, check your registration status, get your options for in-person and absentee voting, and see who’s up for re/election in your state and district at https://p2a.co/crnasvote.  

• Help Elect Nurses and Nursing Champions to Office. Do your part to help elect nurses and nursing champions to state and federal office. It’s easy! Click here to make a direct contribution to CRNAs, other nurses, and nursing champions who understand the value that you bring to patients and the U.S. healthcare system.  

• Oppose Legislation Harmful to Veterans. The misleadingly named “Protect Lifesaving Anesthesia Care for Veterans Act of 2023” (H.R. 3347/S. 2070) will harm access to critical healthcare services for our veterans. With wait times already an issue at the VA, our veterans cannot afford more barriers to care. Tell your U.S. Representative and Senators that you oppose this harmful legislation today!  

Thank you for supporting your profession and your colleagues through your AANA membership. As has always been the case throughout our profession’s history, there are numerous challenges ahead in the coming year. Together, we are an unstoppable force.  

Sincerely, 

The AANA Board of Directors 

IN THIS ISSUE

• Federal Judge Strikes Down Federal Trade Commission’s Ban on Non-Compete Clauses 

• 2023 MIPS Final Score and Payment Adjustment Information is Available 

• MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstance Policy for Florida Clinicians 

• AANA Fiscal Year Set to Coincide with Calendar Year in 2025: Membership Year Will Continue will still begin on September 1 

• LaaSy Health Enhances Healthcare Accessibility for AANA Members 

• September is National Suicide Prevention Month 

• ANA Offers Free Webinar on Preventing Burnout  

• Lokum App Provides a Matchmaking Engine for CRNA Jobs 

ADVOCACY UPDATES

Federal Judge Strikes Down Federal Trade Commission’s Ban on Non-Compete Clauses

On August 20, 2024, the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas struck down the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) rule banning non-competes stating that it is invalid and unenforceable. This follows the FTC issuing final rules back in April banning non-compete clauses, which was slated to go into effect in September. The federal judge cited the recent Supreme Court ruling in Loper Bright, stating that the agency does not have the authority to issue substantive rules regarding unfair competition. This ruling prevents the FTC from enforcing the rule against any company nationwide. According to some legal experts, the FTC may appeal this decision, which would be heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and possibly the U.S. Supreme Court, both of which have recently issued decisions curtailing the power of federal agencies. AANA continues to monitor this issue. 

2023 MIPS Final Score and Payment Adjustment Information is Available

CRNAs who submitted MIPS data in 2023 can now view their MIPS Final Scores and Payment Adjustment for 2025 when logging into their Quality Payment Program account. If you believe there is an error in the calculation of your MIPS Final Score, you can request a Targeted Review until October 11, 2024, at 8:00 PM ET.  You can additional guidance about the MIPS Performance Feedback and Payment Adjustment from the 2023 MIPS Performance Feedback FAQs. 

MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstance Policy for Florida Clinicians 

Florida was declared a disaster area by the federal government in early August following Hurricane Debby. Therefore, CMS will automatically apply the 2024 MIPS Extreme and Uncontrollable Circumstance (EUC) policy to CRNAs in the affected counties who participate in MIPS. All four performance categories will be reweighted to 0% and eligible clinicians will receive a neutral payment adjustment for 2026. For more information, please review the 2024 Automatic EUC Policy Fact Sheet.  

SIGNIFICANT NEWS

AANA Fiscal Year Set to Coincide with Calendar Year in 2025

Membership Year Will still begin on September 1 

As a result of the AANA membership’s recent vote to amend the AANA Bylaws related to Fiscal Year/Membership Year, the AANA Board of Directors (BOD)has approved the following action:   

“Based upon the positive outcome of the 2024 membership vote on the Fiscal/Membership Year Bylaw Amendment, the AANA Board of Directors hereby sets the AANA Fiscal Year as the calendar year effective January 1, 2025. This action shall remain in effect until otherwise changed by a future AANA Board of Directors. 

 

“Note: The cycle related to dues, annual turnover of the Board, Committees, etc., shall continue to follow the Membership Year as outlined in the AANA Bylaws.” 

This will have no impact on your membership renewal or AANA’s election cycle.  However, AANA communications will begin to reference a Membership Year (MY2025, for example) that runs September 1 through August 31 and a Fiscal Year (FY2025) that occurs January 1 through December 31. 

LaaSy Health Enhances Healthcare Accessibility for AANA Members

The AANA and its innovation lab, Rm8, have joined forces with LaaSy Health, a pioneering healthcare service provider, to offer AANA members affordable and accessible healthcare.  Joel Tompkins, MSN, CRNA, and CEO of LaaSy Health, is a strong advocate for pricing transparency in healthcare. His company offers clear, upfront pricing for its members, providing access to direct-pay providers who disclose the total cost of care prior to service. Importantly, LaaSy Health is not an insurance company, but a membership program designed to deliver healthcare at significantly reduced costs. Read more. 

September is National Suicide Prevention Month

While suicide prevention is important every day of the year, September is a time to amplify messages of hope and healing, highlight ways you can help “Talk Away the Dark,” and learn more about the research behind suicide prevention. By creating a culture that’s smart about mental health, advocating for legislative policies that make suicide prevention a priority, and funding innovative research, we can save lives.  

• If you are struggling, you are not alone. Call 911, go to the nearest hospital ER, or call/text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. For drug or alcohol concerns, contact the AANA Helpline at 800-654-5167  

• Contrary to popular belief, asking someone directly if they’re thinking about suicide won’t “put the idea in their head.” In fact, people are often relieved to have a #RealConvo about mental health.  

• To all suicide loss survivors, grieving takes time and you deserve the space and time to heal. Visit https://afsp.org/loss for resources.  

Visit the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention or AANA.com/Suicide for more resources.  

ANA Offers Free Webinar on Preventing Burnout

The American Nurses Association (ANA) free webinar, Preventing Burnout and Rekindling Your Enthusiasm, Energy, and Commitment to Nursing and Patient Care is available on demand, is available on demand online. (Registration is required for individuals and groups.) The 90-minute webinar covers: Early warning signs of burnout and how to address them; Effective stress management and energy conservation techniques; Tools to boost job satisfaction and improve work-life balance; and Tips for creating a supportive work environment. 

MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Lokum App Provides a Matchmaking Engine for CRNA Jobs

When Ayoade (Joy) Ademuyewo, DNP, CRNA, graduated from her nurse anesthesiology program, she found navigating the job market to be a challenge. She didn’t have a deep understanding of the market, and she was frustrated with not having an appropriate technical solution to finding a job.  

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, she realized many CRNAs/nurse anesthesiologists had been displaced into the job market. Considering CRNAs are usually in high demand — they administer every type of anesthesia to all types of patients in all healthcare settings — she saw desperation from colleagues in online forums. CRNAs she knew reached out to her to share the problems they were having finding a job.  

Her solution? She invented an app. Read more. 

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.