Nebraska Legislative Bill 25: Patient Safety Cash Fund to Support NCPS
The Nebraska Medical Association (NMA) and the Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants (NAPA) advocated for the enactment of Legislative Bill 25 (LB 25) to create a patient safety cash fund to support the activities of NCPS. This additional funding enables NCPS to increase its capacity to support healthcare providers in improving the safety and reliability of care delivery. Effective January 1, 2020, physicians pay a patient safety fee of $50, and physician assistants pay a patient safety fee of $20. These fees will be collected biennially with the initial or renewal fee for the credential.
The Patient Safety Improvement Act
In 2005, the Patient Safety Improvement Act was passed by the Nebraska Legislature. The Act passed in Nebraska directed five professional associations to establish a private, nonprofit patient safety organization independent of state agencies to work with providers to encourage a culture of safety and quality.
NCPS Founding Associations:
- Nebraska Hospital Association
- Nebraska Medical Association
- Nebraska Academy of Physician Assistants
- Nebraska Pharmacists Association
- Nebraska Nurses Association
Nebraska Revised Statute 71-8701
The Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act
In 2005, the U.S.Congress developed and enacted the Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA) in response to the Institute of Medicine report, To Err Is Human, which drew national attention to the number of preventable medical errors that were occurring.
The goal of this federal legislation was to increase the likelihood that people who seek health care in Nebraska and across the U.S. are not harmed by the health care services that are intended to help them.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The Patient Safety Rule
The Patient Safety Rule was finalized in 2008 and defines how the PSQIA is implemented through the Patient Safety Act.
The Patient Safety Rule established a framework by which health care providers may voluntarily report information to patient safety organizations (PSOs) on a privileged and confidential basis, for the aggregation and analysis of patient safety events to promote shared learning and improve quality and safety.
Patient safety organization federal listing and re-certification are overseen by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Office for Civil Rights.
The Patient Safety Rule and the protections of the PSQIA have the force of federal law.
