119-hr4204

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4204 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 4204

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare 
 beneficiaries to choose their physical and occupational therapists, 
 speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and chiropractors.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 June 26, 2025

 Mr. Smucker (for himself and Mr. Davis of North Carolina) introduced 
 the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
 Means, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, 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 allow Medicare 
 beneficiaries to choose their physical and occupational therapists, 
 speech-language pathologists, audiologists, and chiropractors.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Medicare Patient Choice Act''.

SEC. 2. FREE CHOICE OF THERAPISTS FOR MEDICARE BENEFICIARIES.

 

Section 1802

    (b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395a

    (b) ) is 
amended--

    (1) in paragraph

    (1) --
        (A) in the matter preceding subparagraph
        (A) , by 
 striking ``physician or practitioner'' and inserting 
 ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
 audiologist''; and
        (B) in subparagraph
        (B) , in the matter preceding 
 clause
            (i) , by striking ``physician or practitioner'' 
 and inserting ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or 
 qualified audiologist'';

    (2) in paragraph

    (2)
        (B) --
        (A) in clause
            (i) , by striking ``physician or 
 practitioner'' and inserting ``physician, practitioner, 
 therapist, or qualified audiologist'';
        (B) in clause
            (v) , by striking ``physicians or 
 practitioners'' and inserting ``physicians, 
 practitioners, therapists, or qualified audiologists''; 
 and
            (C) in the matter following clause
            (v) , by striking 
 ``physician or practitioner'' and inserting 
 ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
 audiologist'';

    (3) in paragraph

    (3) --
        (A) in the heading, by striking ``physician or 
 practitioner'' and inserting ``physician, practitioner, 
 therapist, or qualified audiologist'';
        (B) in subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``physician or 
 practitioner'' and inserting ``physician, practitioner, 
 therapist, or qualified audiologist'';
            (C) in subparagraph
        (B) --
            (i) in clause
            (i) , by striking ``physician 
 or practitioner'' each place it appears and 
 inserting ``physician, practitioner, therapist, 
 or qualified audiologist''; and
            (ii) in clause
            (ii) , by striking 
 ``physician or practitioner'' and inserting 
 ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or 
 qualified audiologist'';
            (D) in subparagraph
            (C) --
            (i) in the matter preceding clause
            (i) , by 
 striking ``physician or practitioner'' and 
 inserting ``physician, practitioner, therapist, 
 or qualified audiologist'';
            (ii) in clause
            (i) , by striking ``physician 
 or practitioner'' and inserting ``physician, 
 practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
 audiologist''; and
            (iii) in clause
            (ii) , by striking 
 ``physician or practitioner'' and inserting 
 ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or 
 qualified audiologist''; and
        (E) in subparagraph
            (D) , by striking ``physician or 
 practitioner'' each place it appears and inserting 
 ``physician, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
 audiologist'';

    (4) in paragraph

    (5) --
        (A) in the heading, by striking ``physicians and 
 practitioners'' and inserting ``physicians, 
 practitioners, therapists, and qualified 
 audiologists'';
        (B) in subparagraph
        (A) , by striking ``physicians 
 and practitioners'' and inserting ``physicians, 
 practitioners, therapists, and qualified 
 audiologists''; and
            (C) in subparagraph
        (B) --
            (i) in the manner preceding clause
            (i) , by 
 striking ``physicians and practitioners'' and 
 inserting ``physicians, practitioners, 
 therapists, and qualified audiologists'';
            (ii) in clause
            (iv) , by striking 
 ``physicians and practitioners'' and inserting 
 ``physicians, practitioners, therapists, and 
 qualified audiologists''; and
            (iii) in clause
            (v) , by striking 
 ``physicians and practitioners'' and inserting 
 ``physicians, practitioners, therapists, and 
 qualified audiologists''; and

    (5) in paragraph

    (6) --
        (A) in subparagraph
        (B) , by striking ``paragraphs

    (1) ,

    (2) ,

    (3) , and

    (4) of'';
        (B) in subparagraph
            (D) --
            (i) in the heading, by striking ``physician 
 or practitioner'' and inserting ``physician, 
 practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
 audiologist''; and
            (ii) by striking ``physician or 
 practitioner'' each place it appears and 
 inserting ``physician, practitioner, therapist, 
 or qualified audiologist''; and
            (C) by adding at the end the following:
 ``
        (E) Therapist.--The term `therapist' means a qualified 
 physical therapist (as such term is used in 

section 1861

    (p) ), a 
 qualified occupational therapist (as such term is used in 
 1861

    (g) ), or a qualified speech-language pathologist (as 
 defined in 1861
            (ll) (4)
        (A) ).
 ``
        (F) Qualified audiologist.--The term `qualified 
 audiologist' has the meaning given such term in 

section 1861
            (ll) (4)
        (B) .''.
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