Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act

House Bill

H.R. 3021

119th Congress

Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act

In Committee

Introduced:Apr 24, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Darin LaHood

Representative

Republican

IL-16

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Health

Summary

This bill prevents Medicare from denying coverage for hospital outpatient services solely because the agency believes those services should only be done in an inpatient setting, giving patients more flexibility in where they receive care.

Latest Action

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.

SponsorDarin LaHood (R-IL)

Introduced4/24/2025

StatusReferred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means

ChamberHouse

Data from Congress.gov

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Vote Prediction

Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act

This bill prevents Medicare from denying coverage for hospital outpatient services solely because the agency believes those services should only be done in an inpatient setting, giving patients more flexibility in where they receive care.

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill prevents Medicare from denying coverage for hospital outpatient services solely because the agency believes those services should only be done in an inpatient setting, giving patients more flexibility in where they receive care.

Bill Number: 3021
Sponsor: Darin LaHood (R-IL)
Introduced: 4/24/2025
Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means
Policy Area: Health

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act
Bill Number: 3021
Sponsor: Darin LaHood (R-IL)
Status: Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means
Introduced: 4/24/2025
Summary: This bill prevents Medicare from denying coverage for hospital outpatient services solely because the agency believes those services should only be done in an inpatient setting, giving patients more flexibility in where they receive care.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill prevents Medicare from denying coverage for hospital outpatient services solely because the agency believes those services should only be done in an inpatient setting, giving patients more flexibility in where they receive care.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act This bill prohibits the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services from refusing to designate a service as a covered hospital outpatient service under Medicare based solely on its determination that the service can only be furnished in an inpatient setting.

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Prevents CMS from restricting services based on care setting alone
Protects patient choice for outpatient hospital services
Limits Medicare authority to designate services as inpatient-only
Could expand access to outpatient procedures under Medicare

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

Medicare patients could have more options for receiving certain medical procedures as outpatients rather than requiring hospital admission. This could mean shorter stays, lower out-of-pocket costs, and more convenient care for many beneficiaries.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Health

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3021, 119th Congress (2025). "Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-3021