Nurse practitioners; authorize to prescribe therapeutic shoes for persons with diabetes.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill did not pass, so it does not have any effect as of now.

Nurse Practitioners Can Help with Diabetes Care

This bill allows nurse practitioners to manage diabetes patients' care and prescribe special shoes for people with diabetes if they work closely with a doctor.

What This Bill Does

• Allows nurse practitioners to serve as the certifying physician for managing a patient's diabetes if they are practicing under a collaborative relationship with a physician.
• Lets nurse practitioners prescribe therapeutic shoes, modifications, and inserts for patients with diabetes according to rules from Medicare and Medicaid.

Who It Names or Affects

• Nurse practitioners who work closely with doctors
• People with diabetes who need special shoes or inserts

Terms To Know

Certifying physician

A doctor who officially says a patient needs certain medical care, like special shoes for people with diabetes.

Collaborative relationship

When nurse practitioners work closely and communicate regularly with doctors to provide the best care for patients.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill did not pass, so it does not have any effect.
• It only applies if the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services give guidelines on therapeutic shoes.

Official Summary Text

Nurse practitioners; authorize to prescribe therapeutic shoes for persons with diabetes.

Current Bill Text

H. B. No. 1370 *HR43/R1990* ~ OFFICIAL ~ G1/2
26/HR43/R1990
PAGE 1 (RF\KP)
ST: Nurse practitioners; authorize to prescribe
therapeutic shoes for persons with diabetes.
To: Public Health and Human
Services
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2026

By: Representative Waldo

HOUSE BILL NO. 1370

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE NURSE PRACTITIONERS TO SERVE AS THE 1
CERTIFYING PHYSICIAN FOR THE PURPOSE OF COMPREHENSIVE MANAGEMENT 2
OF A PATIENT'S DIABETES IF THE NURSE PRACTITIONER IS PRACTICING 3
INCIDENT TO THE PHYSICIAN WITH WHOM THE NURSE PRACTITIONER HAS A 4
COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIP, AND TO PRESCRIBE THERAPEUTIC SHOES, 5
MODIFICATIONS AND INSERTS FOR PATIENTS WITH DIABETES, IN 6
ACCORDANCE WITH RULES AND OTHER GUIDELINES FROM THE CENTERS FOR 7
MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES. 8
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI: 9
SECTION 1. In accordance with rules and other guidelines 10
from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: 11
(a) Nurse practitioners are authorized to serve as the 12
certifying physician for the purpose of comprehensive management 13
of a patient's diabetes if the nurse practitioner is practicing 14
incident to the physician with whom the nurse practitioner has a 15
collaborative relationship; and 16
(b) Nurse practitioners are authorized to prescribe 17
therapeutic shoes, modifications and inserts for patients with 18
diabetes. 19
SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from 20
and after July 1, 2026. 21