Medicare and the financing of nursing education: implications of Board of Trustees v Sullivan.
In 1991 a federal court decided a case of first impression about the appropriateness of reimbursement to programs of nursing education under Medicare. The court confirmed that the University of Mississippi could continue receiving Medicare reimbursement for a proportionate share of the costs of clinical education for nurses in its affiliated hospital. However, it ruled that the $2 million in costs for classroom nursing education incurred by the School of Nursing would not be reimbursed despite the fact that both the hospital and nursing school were controlled by the same entity, the university system. This article reviews the court's decision in Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning v Sullivan within the context of the available nursing literature on this topic. It describes the provisions of the Medicare statute, which allow for reimbursement of programs of nursing education, and the implications of the court's decision for nursing education. Finally, it suggests directions for additional research and discussion about the availability of an additional source of federal funding.
Division of Planning, Policy, and Leadership Studies, College of Education, University of Iowa, Iowa City.
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Anderson
D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006785:Hospitals, University / Q000191:economics* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D006278:Medicare / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D008922:Mississippi; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014146:Training Support / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D014481:United States; D014495:Universities / Q000191:economics / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence