WASHINGTON, DC – Representative Kevin Hern (OK-01) recently joined HR 3062 as a cosponsor. HR 3062, the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2019, repeals the portion of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that restricts the expansion and new construction of physician-owned hospitals.

“Physician-owned hospitals provide top-notch care,” said Rep. Hern. “In fact, some of the highest quality centers in the country are physician-owned. These types of facilities are statistically proven to be more efficient and more capable of meeting the growing demand for health care services. Under the ACA, physician-owned hospitals were under severe and complex restrictions. We should be doing everything in our power to encourage the expansion of successful operations like these, instead of hampering their ability to grow to meet the demands of their communities. This bill will repeal the provision in the ACA that restricts physician-owned hospitals and will allow them to participate in Medicare and Medicaid, a necessary help to those in need of care.”

This legislation is supported by the Oklahoma Surgical Hospital, the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and a bipartisan coalition of more than 40 Members of the House of Representatives, including Representatives Cole (OK-04) and Mullin (OK-02).

Background Information

More information on HR 3062, including the bill’s text, can be found here.