Massachusetts nurse practitioners step up as one solution to the primary care access problem: a political success story.

Massachusetts' political experience with efforts to insure all citizens provided a unique opportunity for nurse practitioners to address the growing need for access to primary care. Passage of a new statute to recognize nurse practitioners as primary care providers that health plan beneficiaries could choose was accomplished through strategic planning and political savvy. The results of a focused effort using the expertise of a professional lobbying team along with organizational support resulted in a groundbreaking new law that is a component of a reform model being examined by the nation as a whole, looking to address accessible, quality, and affordable health care. This article chronicles that journey and its accomplishment.