Medicare/Healthy Families Bill Includes New Specialty Hospital Ban
[Posted 08/23/07]

The Children’s Health and Medicare Protection (CHAMP) Act that recently passed the U.S. House of Representatives contains a provision that would ban new physician-owned specialty hospitals. CMA is seeking to eliminate this onerous provision.

The bill (HR 3162) would also prohibit preexisting physician-owned specialty hospitals that treat Medicare patients from adding additional beds. Additionally, it would require physician-owned specialty hospitals to reduce their physician ownership to no more than 40 percent within 18 months, with no individual physician having more than 2 percent ownership.

To help CMA in this very difficult battle, we need to hear from physician owners of specialty hospitals. We also need information on any physician-owned hospitals that are under development.

Contact: Elizabeth McNeil, 415/882-3376 or emcneil@cmanet.org.