127. Medicare Part D: Big Changes Coming in 2025

On this episode, Margaret “Midge” Bowers returns to NP Pulse to discuss all things cardiovascular, with a focus on the newest atrial fibrillation and congestive heart failure guidelines. Bowers and Sophia Thomas also discuss new medications, the importance of communication between patient and provider — and why it is so necessary for NPs to “treat the person, not the number.”  If you are interested in learning more from Midge on this subject, listen to NP Pulse episode 106. Four Pillars of Medications for Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction and gain CE credit by going to the AANP CE Center here. CE credit is offered until February 2025. Please also consider joining the AANP Community group: Cardiology Specialty Practice, which offers the opportunity to interactively collaborate with colleagues who share interest or clinical expertise on the subject. 

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a condition of immense and multifarious clinical gravity causing acute pain, joint damage, anemia and risk of infection, stroke, delayed growth in children and adolescents — as well as long-term organ dysfunction. However, recent evolutions in treatment options offer promising novel and emerging therapeutics poised to truly revolutionize SCD care. On this episode of NP Pulse: The Voice of the Nurse Practitioner®, nurse practitioner (NP) specialists Sheryl Mitchell and Artangela Henry guide NPs to achieve the following learning objectives: Describe the epidemiologic patterns, pathophysiologic principles and robust patient burden of SCD. Examine current best practices for SCD diagnosis, highlighting the fundamental importance of early disease detection, characterization and linkage to treatment. Evaluate the established and evolving therapeutic landscape for SCD, with a focus on recent regulatory approvals and emerging trial data for novel agents. Design individualized, evidence-driven treatment plans for patients with SCD that mitigate disease complications and improve quality of life. Identify residual unmet needs in the SCD treatment paradigm and discuss the role of ongoing research and comprehensive, multidisciplinary care strategies in closing these gaps. This program and the accompanying clinical resource tool were made possible by a medical education grant from Vertex. Continuing education (CE) credit for this program may be claimed through Dec. 31, 2025. To claim credit for this program, log in to the CE Center, search for this program by name and complete the post-test and evaluation by entering the participation code that is given after listening to the podcast.

Making the Case for Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (CE) Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) is a very effective means of preventing an unintended pregnancy. The CDC recommends that clinicians provide patients with information about the effectiveness of all contraceptive options that they are medically eligible for. However, primary care providers and nurse practitioners report discussing LARC in less than half of their contraceptive counseling encounters. On today’s episode, nurse practitioners Barb Dehn and Dr. Joan Zaccardi discuss the vital role of the NP in contraceptive counseling and the importance of including LARC as a contraceptive option. A participation code will be provided at the END of the podcast – make sure to write this code down. One you have listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the CE Center. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and Enter the participation code that was provided Complete the post-test Complete the activity evaluation This will award your CE credit and certificate of completion. 0.75 CE, 0.5 RX, will be available through December 31, 2025.   This activity is partially supported by an educational grant from CooperSurgical. The remainder is funded by AANP. Resources: U.S. Selected Practice Recommendations for Contraceptive Use, 2024 (cdc.gov)

Bipolar disorder (BD) is challenging to differentiate from other psychiatric conditions due to its complexity and spectral nature. In fact, approximately 70% of patients with BD are without an accurate diagnosis, evidence-based treatment and management. In this episode of NP Pulse, "Patient Centric Management of Bipolar Disorder: Best Practices for Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment," nurse practitioner (NP) experts Braden Kameg and Lisa Anderson discuss ways in which NPs in primary care, psychiatric and mental health settings may decrease diagnostic delays and avoid misdiagnoses. Learning objectives for this activity include: Review the prevalence, pathophysiology and clinical gravity of BD. Examine evolving screening and assessment best practices to facilitate early and accurate differential BD diagnosis and linkage to treatment. Evaluate the evidentiary base for novel and recently approved BD pharmacotherapies, with a focus on tailored treatment planning for individual patients. Design data-driven and patient-centric treatment plans for BD that integrate patient-specific factors, disease-specific factors and actively incorporate the patient voice. 0.92 CE / 0.50 RX To claim continuing education credit for this program, log in to the CE Center, search for this program by name, complete the post-test and evaluation and then enter the participation code at the end of the podcast. A clinical reference tool in English and Spanish is available for download: AANP_Bipolar_Clinician_Tool_English.pdf  AANP_Bipolar_Clinician_Tool_Spanish.pdf   This activity is supported by an independent educational grant from Alkermes

Clear and honest communication between patients and providers is key to establishing a shared understanding of both wellness and illness. On this episode of NP Pulse, Dr. Martha Francis and Sarah Somers explore different frameworks for providers to better communicate delicate and often difficult news. They also share what it means to “rest in the uncomfortable,” and how they’ve learned to best support their patients in emotional times.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that in the United States, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 10 men 18 years of age or older experience domestic violence annually, and that domestic violence results in over 1,500 deaths per year. Today’s guest, Doncy Eapen, is a family nurse practitioner and expert on domestic violence. Eapen helps define what domestic violence is, discusses the populations most at-risk for domestic violence and explores how to screen for and best connect with patients who are experiencing harm at home.  If you'd like to learn more about intimate partner violence and the role of the NP, you can read an article on it here in the JNP.   If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence you can find help and resources here. 

On this episode of NP Pulse, our guests are the American Association of Nurse Practitioner’s® (AANP) Vice President of Research Kate Bradley and research analyst Mitch Sellers, who join host Sophia Thomas to discuss AANP’s recently released compensation and practice reports. Together, they explore what kind of information is available in both reports; detail some of the most important findings regarding compensation; and explain why it’s important for all nurse practitioners (NPs) to access and use this data. Download the 2024 AANP Practice and Compensation Reports here.

As we approach Medicare’s Open Enrollment period, NP Pulse welcomes AANP’s president elect Valerie Fuller to discuss the big changes that have happened — and will happen starting Jan. 1 of 2025— to Medicare Part D.  Learn how seniors can opt in to the program and what changes will be taking place with regard to costs for medications, vaccines and more. This podcast is made possible by PhRMA.

Hypertension (HTN) is a leading cause of death and disability in nearly half of all Americans. Alarmingly, almost 50% of individuals with HTN are unaware of their condition, and only about 20% have it under proper medical control. Nurse practitioners (NPs) play a crucial role in managing HTN, particularly in patient communication, shared decision-making and clinical expertise. On today’s episode, Dr. Leslie Davis and Maria Bonanni explore how renal denervation (RDN) reduces hypertension, and discuss clinical trials, patient selection and recent regulatory approvals. They also highlight the NP’s role in screening and educating patients about RDN through shared decision-making. A participation code will be given at the END of the podcast - make sure to write this code down. Once you've listened to the podcast and have the participation code, return to this activity in the CE Center. Click on the "Next Steps" button of the activity and Enter the participation code that was provided Complete the post-test Complete the activity evaluation. This will award your CE credit and certificate of completion.1.0 CE, through 09/30/25. This activity is supported by an independent medical educational grant from Medtronic

Recorded live at the 2024 AANP National Conference, this episode of NP Pulse features a conversation with North Carolina-based nurse practitioner (NP), Meriah Ward, DNP, FNP-BC. Ward was diagnosed with autism in their thirties, and they are now sharing what they’ve learned as both a patient and provider to help inform other NPs as to how they can best treat individuals with autism spectrum disorder.