I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4204 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow Medicare bene-
ficiaries to choose their physical and occupational therapists, speech- 
language pathologists, audiologists, and chiropractors. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 26, 2025 
Mr. SMUCKER (for himself and Mr. DAVIS of North Carolina) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, 
and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period 
to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consider-
ation of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
concerned 
A BILL 
To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to allow 
Medicare beneficiaries to choose their physical and occu-
pational therapists, speech-language pathologists, audiol-
ogists, and chiropractors. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Patient 
Choice Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FREE CHOICE OF THERAPISTS FOR MEDICARE 
BENEFICIARIES. 
Section 1802(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395a(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
(A), by striking ‘‘physician or practitioner’’ and 
inserting ‘‘physician, practitioner, therapist, or 
qualified audiologist’’; and 
(B) in subparagraph (B), in the matter 
preceding clause (i), by striking ‘‘physician or 
practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physician, practi-
tioner, therapist, or qualified audiologist’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2)(B)— 
(A) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘physician or 
practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physician, practi-
tioner, therapist, or qualified audiologist’’; 
(B) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘physicians 
or practitioners’’ and inserting ‘‘physicians, 
practitioners, therapists, or qualified audiol-
ogists’’; and 
(C) in the matter following clause (v), by 
striking ‘‘physician or practitioner’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘physician, practitioner, therapist, or quali-
fied audiologist’’; 
(3) in paragraph (3)— 
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(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘PHYSICIAN 
OR PRACTITIONER’’ and inserting ‘‘PHYSICIAN, 
PRACTITIONER, THERAPIST, OR QUALIFIED AU-
DIOLOGIST’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘phy-
sician or practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physician, 
practitioner, therapist, or qualified audiologist’’; 
(C) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘physician 
or practitioner’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘physician, practitioner, thera-
pist, or qualified audiologist’’; and 
(ii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘physi-
cian or practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physi-
cian, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
audiologist’’; 
(D) in subparagraph (C)— 
(i) in the matter preceding clause (i), 
by striking ‘‘physician or practitioner’’ and 
inserting ‘‘physician, practitioner, thera-
pist, or qualified audiologist’’; 
(ii) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘physi-
cian or practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physi-
cian, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
audiologist’’; and 
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(iii) in clause (ii), by striking ‘‘physi-
cian or practitioner’’ and inserting ‘‘physi-
cian, practitioner, therapist, or qualified 
audiologist’’; and 
(E) in subparagraph (D), by striking ‘‘phy-
sician or practitioner’’ each place it appears and 
inserting ‘‘physician, practitioner, therapist, or 
qualified audiologist’’; 
(4) in paragraph (5)— 
(A) in the heading, by striking ‘‘PHYSI-
CIANS
AND
PRACTITIONERS’’ and inserting 
‘‘PHYSICIANS, 
PRACTITIONERS, 
THERAPISTS, 
AND QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGISTS’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (A), by striking ‘‘phy-
sicians and practitioners’’ and inserting ‘‘physi-
cians, practitioners, therapists, and qualified 
audiologists’’; and 
(C) in subparagraph (B)— 
(i) in the manner preceding clause (i), 
by striking ‘‘physicians and practitioners’’ 
and inserting ‘‘physicians, practitioners, 
therapists, and qualified audiologists’’; 
(ii) in clause (iv), by striking ‘‘physi-
cians and practitioners’’ and inserting 
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‘‘physicians, practitioners, therapists, and 
qualified audiologists’’; and 
(iii) in clause (v), by striking ‘‘physi-
cians and practitioners’’ and inserting 
‘‘physicians, practitioners, therapists, and 
qualified audiologists’’; and 
(5) in paragraph (6)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘paragraphs (1), (2), (3), and (4) of’’; 
(B) in subparagraph (D)— 
(i) in the heading, by striking ‘‘PHYSI-
CIAN
OR
PRACTITIONER’’ and inserting 
‘‘PHYSICIAN, PRACTITIONER, THERAPIST, 
OR QUALIFIED AUDIOLOGIST’’; and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘physician or practi-
tioner’’ each place it appears and inserting 
‘‘physician, 
practitioner, 
therapist, 
or 
qualified audiologist’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(E) THERAPIST.—The term ‘therapist’ means 
a qualified physical therapist (as such term is used 
in section 1861(p)), a qualified occupational thera-
pist (as such term is used in 1861(g)), or a qualified 
speech-language 
pathologist 
(as 
defined 
in 
1861(ll)(4)(A)). 
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‘‘(F) QUALIFIED
AUDIOLOGIST.—The term 
‘qualified audiologist’ has the meaning given such 
term in section 1861(ll)(4)(B).’’. 
Æ 
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