Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) and Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) introduced the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2025, a bipartisan bill that will increase physician-owned hospitals and patient access to quality health care by eliminating needless regulations and big government controls prohibiting physicians from owning and investing in medical facilities.

The legislation repeals Sections 6001 and 10601 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as Section 1106 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 which have restricted the establishment and growth of physician owned medical care facilities. 

“With this common-sense elimination of obstructive, Washington regulations, our goal is to empower more medical care options in America so competition can drive down costs while expanding availability. Patients should have the freedom to choose the highest quality care available, and physicians should be allowed to provide it,” said Rep. Van Duyne. “By restoring physicians’ ability to invest in hospital facilities, we expect to see incredible growth in medical care alternatives which will enable better health outcomes for the American people.”

"For the folks I represent, rural health care isn’t a policy debate – it’s a daily reality," said Rep. Cuellar. "Physician-owned hospitals can help expand access, improve quality, and keep care close to home. Our bill is a commonsense step to improve care in communities that need it most."

“We need innovation and competition in the healthcare space, and physician-owned hospitals often have high rates of patient satisfaction,” said Rep. Hern. “Doctors spend the most time with patients; they ought to have the opportunity to own and operate their own hospitals. Let’s remove the barriers for those who are providing the actual care! I’m proud to introduce this legislation with Congresswoman Van Duyne.”

“If a barber can own a hair salon, and a truck driver can own a trucking company, then a doctor should be able to own a medical facility,” said Dean Clancy, Senior Health Policy Fellow at Americans for Prosperity. “We applaud Congresswoman Van Duyne for introducing common sense legislation to repeal the ban on physician-owned hospitals, a ban that harms patients, drives up prices, and exists solely to protect big hospital corporations from free-market competition. Studies show physician-led facilities typically deliver better-quality care at lower prices than other kinds of hospitals. Patients should have that option. Thank you, Congresswoman Van Duyne, for your leadership on this issue. Our thousands of activists across the country will be working hard to enact your bill because it gives Americans a Personal Option -- hassle-free health care you can afford.”

“Congresswoman Van Duyne is tackling an issue that will ensure the over 1 million licensed physicians in our country can own and operate their own facilities and allow doctors to have a pathway to offer better-quality care and affordably competitive care. This bill takes a major step in making sure not just the patient has more options but that the provider has more flexibility in how they provide medical services all throughout the country," said Helder Toste, Government Affairs Liaison, The LIBRE Initiative.

Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Neal Dunn (R-FL), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK), Rep. Rich McCormick (R-GA), Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Rep.  Rep. August Pfluger (R-TX), and Rudy Yakym (R-IN), helped Rep. Van Duyne (R-TX) and Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) introduce the bill as original co-sponsors 

Background:

• This bill repeals limitations to the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals, allowing physician-owned hospitals to expand or to be established.
• This is accomplished by repealing sections 6001 and 10601 of the ACA (Pub. L. 111-148) and section 1106 of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111-124). These laws would be read as if these sections had never been enacted:
• ACA Sec. 6001 is a limitation on the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals, including requirements for a hospital to qualify for the rural provider and hospital exception to the ownership or investment prohibition and the exception to the prohibition of expansion of facility capacity.
• ACA Sec. 10601 is a limitation on the Medicare exception to the prohibition on certain physician referrals for hospitals.
• Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act Sec. 1106 is an amendment to the ACA and has technical changes as well as a definition for a “high Medicaid facility.”

Click HERE for full bill text. 

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