What This Bill Does · Plain English
Summary · Congress.gov
Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act This bill expands flexibilities for physicians and physician-owned hospitals under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law). The Stark law generally prohibits physicians from referring patients to receive services that are payable under Medicare or Medicaid from entities in which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship. The bill allows physicians or their immediate family members to have financial interests in rural hospitals that are located more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in certain mountainous areas or areas with only secondary roads) from a hospital or critical access hospital. The Stark law also generally prohibits physician-owned hospitals from expanding the number of operating rooms, procedure rooms, or beds beyond the number in existence as of March 23, 2010, in order to be excepted under the Stark law. The bill removes this restriction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did HR.2191 pass?
HR.2191 is still alive. Current stage: COMMITTEE. Pass likelihood: 23%.
What does HR.2191 do?
Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act This bill expands flexibilities for physicians and physician-owned hospitals under the Stark law (i.e., the Physician Self-Referral Law). The Stark law generally prohibits physicians from referring patients to receive services that are payable under Medicare or Medicaid from entities in which the physician or an immediate family member has a financial relationship. The bill allows physicians or their immediate family members to have financial interests in rural hospitals that are located more than 35 miles (or 15 miles in certain mountainous a…
Who sponsored HR.2191?
HR.2191 was sponsored by H. Morgan Griffith (R-Virginia).
Full Bill Text
119 HR 2191 IH: Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act U.S. House of Representatives 2025-03-18 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. I 119th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 2191 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 18, 2025 Mr. Griffith (for himself, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma , Mr. Vicente Gonzalez of Texas , Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania , Mr. Correa , Mr. Balderson , Mr. Valadao , Mr. Pfluger , Mr. Dunn of Florida , Mr. Davis of North Carolina , Mr. Yakym , Mr. Weber of Texas , Mrs. Miller-Meeks , and Mr. Austin Scott of Georgia ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce , and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned A BILL To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act . 2. Revising certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals (a) In general Section 1877 of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395nn ) is amended— (1) in subsection (d)— (A) in paragraph (2)(C), by inserting (other than a covered rural hospital (as defined in subsection (h))) after a hospital ; and (B) in paragraph (3)(D), by inserting in the case of a hospital other than a covered rural hospital (as defined in subsection (h)), before the hospital ; and (2) in subsection (h), by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (8) Covered rural hospital The term covered rural hospital means a hospital that— (A) is located in a rural area (as defined in section 1886(d)(2)(D)); and (B) as of the date that such hospital enrolls under this title, is located more than a 35-mile drive (or, in the case of mountainous terrain or in areas with only secondary roads available, a 15-mile drive) from a hospital or a critical access hospital. . (b) Allowing for expansion of existing physician-Owned hospitals Section 1877(i) of the Social Security Act ( 42 U.S.C. 1395nn(i) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking in paragraph (3) and inserting in paragraph (3) or (7) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (7) Sunset of expansion prohibition The requirement described in paragraph (1)(B) shall not apply beginning on the date of the enactment of this paragraph. .
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