Protect Patient Access and Promote Hospital Efficiency Act

Protect Patient Access and Promote Hospital Efficiency Act - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) of the Social Security Act to authorize nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives who order inpatient hospital services to certify their medical necessity for payment under the Medicare program.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4663 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4663

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit certain nurse 
 practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, and 
certified nurse-midwives to provide certain certifications with respect 
       to inpatient hospital services under the Medicare program.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 15, 2014

 Mrs. Black (for herself and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

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                                 A BILL


 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to permit certain nurse 
 practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, physician assistants, and 
certified nurse-midwives to provide certain certifications with respect 
       to inpatient hospital services under the Medicare program.

    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 ``Protect Patient Access and Promote 
Hospital Efficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. PERMITTING CERTAIN NURSE PRACTITIONERS, CLINICAL NURSE 
              SPECIALISTS, PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, AND CERTIFIED NURSE-
              MIDWIVES TO PROVIDE CERTAIN CERTIFICATIONS WITH RESPECT 
              TO INPATIENT HOSPITAL SERVICES UNDER THE MEDICARE 
              PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Section 1814(a)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395f(a)(3)) is amended by inserting ``(or, in the case of such 
inpatient hospital services ordered by a nurse practitioner, clinical 
nurse specialist, physician assistant (as such terms are defined in 
section 1861(aa)(5)), or a certified nurse-midwife (as such term is 
defined in section 1861(gg)) who is privileged and credentialed at the 
hospital at which such services are to be furnished, the nurse 
practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, or 
certified nurse-midwife)'' after ``a physician''.
    (b) No Effect on State Scope of Practice Law.--Nothing in this 
section, including the amendment made by this section, shall be 
construed as, or have the effect of, changing any State scope of 
practice law for any health care professional.
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