II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 488 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow physician assistants, 

nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, 

intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 12, 2015 

Mr. SCHUMER (for himself and Mr. CRAPO) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance 

A BILL 

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow 

physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical 

nurse specialists to supervise cardiac, intensive cardiac, 

and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. ALLOWING PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS, NURSE 

2 PRACTITIONERS, AND CLINICAL NURSE SPE3 CIALISTS TO SUPERVISE CARDIAC, INTEN4 SIVE CARDIAC, AND PULMONARY REHABILI5 TATION PROGRAMS. 

6 (a) CARDIAC AND INTENSIVE CARDIAC REHABILITA7 TION PROGRAMS.—Section 1861(eee) of the Social Secu8 rity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(eee)) is amended— 

9 (1) in paragraph (1)— 

10 (A) by striking ‘‘physician-supervised’’; 

11 and 

12 (B) by inserting ‘‘under the supervision of 

13 a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or 

14 a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or 

15 clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are de16 fined in subsection (aa)(5))’’ before the period 

17 at the end; 

18 (2) in paragraph (2)— 

19 (A) in subparagraph (A)(iii), by striking 

20 the period at the end and inserting a semicolon; 

21 and 

22 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ‘‘a 

23 physician’’ and inserting ‘‘a physician (as de24 fined in subsection (r)(1)) or a physician assist25 ant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse speVerDate Sep 11 2014 01:50 Feb 24, 2015 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S488.IS S488

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1 cialist (as those terms are defined in subsection 

2 (aa)(5))’’; and 

3 (3) in paragraph (4)(A), in the matter pre4 ceding clause (i)— 

5 (A) by striking ‘‘physician-supervised’’; 

6 and 

7 (B) by inserting ‘‘under the supervision of 

8 a physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or 

9 a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or 

10 clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are de11 fined in subsection (aa)(5))’’ after ‘‘paragraph 

12 (3)’’. 

13 (b) PULMONARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS.—Sec14 tion 1861(fff)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

15 1395x(fff)(1)) is amended— 

16 (1) by striking ‘‘physician-supervised’’; and 

17 (2) by inserting ‘‘under the supervision of a 

18 physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or a phy19 sician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse 

20 specialist (as those terms are defined in subsection 

21 (aa)(5))’’ before the period at the end. 

22 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

23 this section shall apply to items and services furnished on 


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1 or after the date that is one year after the date of the 

2 enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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