Without physician involvement, North Carolina could see increased health care costs and an impact to patient safety. The SAVE Act will remove physicians from the patient care team, which could result in increased costs due to the overprescribing of medications and the overutilization of diagnostic imaging and other services by nurse practitioners (NPs).
How do we know this will happen?
- A 2020 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that NPs were 20 times more likely to overprescribe opioids than those in states with restrictions on prescribing practices.
- A study in the Journal of the American College of Radiology analyzed x-ray utilization for Medicare beneficiaries from 2003 to 2015 and found that ordering tests increased by more than 400% by non-physicians during this timeframe. As a result, patients were exposed to unnecessary radiation and increased costs.
- Researchers who published a working paper in 2022 (revised in 2024) for the National Bureau of Economic Research found that “compared to physicians, NPs use more medical resources: They require longer lengths of stay and incur higher costs. However, they achieve less favorable patient outcomes, as measured by 30-day preventable hospitalizations.”
Current law requires physician involvement in patient care. With physician-led medical care, patients receive better health care with lower health care costs. Keep patients safe by keeping the physician-led patient care team intact.
The NC Patient Safety Coalition is an alliance of medical professionals that advocate for physician-led health care that protects patient safety. Learn more on our website at www.ncpatientsafety.com, and follow us on X @NCPatientSafety and Facebook www.facebook.com/NCPatientSafety.