Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021
Bill: S.1986 | Sponsor: Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore (R-WV)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021
This bill accelerates and expands certain changes that are scheduled to take effect relating to the coverage of cardiac, intensive cardiac, and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under Medicare.
Currently, such programs require physician supervision. Effective January 1, 2024, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists may also supervise these programs. The bill expedites the effective date of these changes to January 1, 2022, and also allows these practitioners to administer programs in their offices, prepare and sign treatment plans, and prescribe exercise.

To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act and the Bipartisan 
      Budget Act of 2018 to expand and expedite access to cardiac 
rehabilitation programs and pulmonary rehabilitation programs under the 
               Medicare program, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac 
Rehabilitation Care Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. EXPANDING ACCESS TO CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AND 
              PULMONARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS UNDER MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    (a) Cardiac Rehabilitation Programs.--Section 1861(eee) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(eee)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A)(i), by striking ``a 
                physician's office'' and inserting ``the office of a 
                physician (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or the 
                office of a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or 
                clinical nurse specialist (as those terms are defined 
                in subsection (aa)(5))''; and
                    (B) in subparagraph (C), by inserting after 
                ``physician'' the following: ``(as defined in 
                subsection (r)(1)) or a physician assistant, nurse 
                practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as those 
                terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5))'';
            (2) in paragraph (3)(A), by striking ``physician-prescribed 
        exercise'' and inserting ``exercise prescribed by a physician 
        (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or a physician assistant, 
        nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as those 
        terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5))''; and
            (3) in paragraph (5), by inserting after ``physician'' the 
        following: ``(as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or a physician 
        assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as 
        those terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5))''.
    (b) Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programs.--Section 1861(fff) of the 
Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(fff)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (2)(A), by striking ``physician-prescribed 
        exercise'' and inserting ``exercise prescribed by a physician 
        (as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or a physician assistant, 
        nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as those 
        terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5))''; and
            (2) in paragraph (3), by inserting after ``physician'' the 
        following: ``(as defined in subsection (r)(1)) or a physician 
        assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (as 
        those terms are defined in subsection (aa)(5))''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to items and services furnished on or after January 
1, 2022.

SEC. 3. EXPEDITING ACCESS TO CARDIAC REHABILITATION PROGRAMS AND 
              PULMONARY REHABILITATION PROGRAMS UNDER MEDICARE PROGRAM.

    Section 51008(c) of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (Public Law 
115-123; 42 U.S.C. 1395x note) is amended by striking ``January 1, 
2024'' and inserting ``January 1, 2022''.
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