A bipartisan bill introduced in late December by Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Shelley Capito (R-WV) would authorize physicians assistances, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists to order patients to cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation under Medicare.
The Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2023 builds upon earlier legislation in the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 to authorize people in these positions to supervise this level of patient care beginning this year.
The bill is supported by several leading health care organizations, including the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Nurses Association, National Rural Health Association and the American Thoracic Society.
This is not the first time Sens. Klobuchar and Capito have pushed for increased access to cardiovascular and pulmonary care. They introduced similar bills in 2019 and 2021, though both failed to pass.
In October, Sen. Klobuchar, along with Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), introduced the Sustainable Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation Services in the Home Act, which would permanently allow patients to receive in-home cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation telehealth services under Medicare.
In June, Sens. Klobuchar and John Hoeven (R-ND) introduced the SOS: Sustaining Outpatient Services Act that would enable hospitals to relocate or open new pulmonary and cardiac rehabilitation outpatient clinics, without jeopardizing the financial viability of providing these services.
The bill is currently before the Senate Committee on Finance for consideration.