ARNM Supports CNA's Call to Expand Disability Tax Credit Certification Authority for Nurses
The Association of Regulated Nurses of Manitoba (ARNM) is encouraging members to support a national advocacy initiative led by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) calling on the federal government to allow all regulated nurses to certify Disability Tax Credit (DTC) applications.
Currently, only physicians and nurse practitioners are authorized to certify these applications. CNA is advocating for a legislative change that would recognize the expertise of regulated nurses, helping reduce barriers for Canadians seeking access to important financial supports.
For many nurses, assessing how health conditions affect a person's daily functioning is already part of everyday practice.
ARNM Executive Director Joyce Kristjansson believes expanding certification authority would improve access while making better use of nurses' expertise.
"As a nurse who has helped many people complete these forms, I believe nurses are ideally positioned to identify the issues with activities of daily living and instrumental activities of daily living that are impacting people's lives. This is especially true for nurses working in community and long-term care."
She recently experienced the issue firsthand while assisting a family member.
"I completed the form and accompanied my wheelchair-dependent family member to a physician appointment, where the doctor reviewed what I had written before signing the application. The physician commented that they dislike completing these forms because many of the questions relate to information they don't routinely assess, making the process time-consuming."
Allowing regulated nurses to certify Disability Tax Credit applications could help reduce unnecessary delays, improve access to benefits, and better reflect the important assessment role nurses already perform across the health-care system.
ARNM encourages members to add their voice in support of this important advocacy effort.