The effects of nurse practitioner scope of practice laws on diabetic health care costs

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients require regular monitoring and preventive care from healthcare professionals to avoid costly and potentially life-threatening complications. One approach for expanding access to primary care for diabetic patients is to change scope of practice laws for nurse practitioners to allow full practice authority (FPA). We find that state-level implementation of FPA reduces total health care costs for diabetics by approximately 20% in urban areas and reduces rural usage of advanced medical services for diabetics by about 10%. However, we see no effects of FPA on primary care claims, high A1c tests, or diabetic debridements.