Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act
Latest action (Apr 9, 2025) — Read twice and on Finance.
What it does
Congressional Research Service, Apr 9, 2025This 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.
Face Value
as introducedHow much of this bill its name accounts for.
- Every bill starts at100
- Nothing counted against it: one area of law, and short enough that length doesn't register.
Face Value measures reach, not honesty. A big bill can be accurately named, and a low score is not an accusation — it means the contents reach further than any short title could describe. Count it yourself ↗ How this is worked out
Who lobbied on this
5 organizationsThese organizations told Congress, in their own quarterly disclosures, that they were lobbying on this bill.
- American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeonsno position stated
“…Care Act: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral exemptions relating to physician-owned hospitals. S. 1390 Physician Led and Rural Access to Care Act: To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to revise certain physician self-referral…” filing ↗
- American College of Cardiologyno position stated
“…physician-owned hospital policy including the Physician Led Rural Access to Quality Care Act (H.R. 2191/S. 1390) and the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act (H.R.…” filing ↗
- American College of Rheumatologyno position stated
“…Tape Elimination Act (HR 5526/S. 1954) Medical Foods and Formulas Access Act (HR 5684) Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act (HR 2191/S. 1390) Claims Data Act, H.R. 4331 Rural Residency Planning and development Act of 2025, H.R. 6468 To exempt H-1B health care workers from the…” filing ↗
- American Hospital Associationno position stated
“…H.R. 2191/ S. 1390, the Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act, all…” filing ↗
- American Medical Associationno position stated
“…and Nurse Practitioner Utilization Act of 2025, all provisions H.R.3022 - Restoring Rights of Physicians to Own Hospitals Act, all provisions S.1390 - Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act, all provisions H.R.2191 - Physician Led and Rural Access to Quality Care Act, all…” filing ↗
Most filings say only that an organization lobbied on a bill, not which side it took — where that's the case we say so rather than guessing. Quotes are verbatim from the filing. How this is built.
Discussion
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