[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7157 Introduced in House (IH)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7157

  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare 
     coverage for all physicians' services furnished by doctors of 
chiropractic within the scope of their license, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2018

 Mr. Paulsen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
 Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
   Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
  Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall 
           within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

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                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide Medicare 
     coverage for all physicians' services furnished by doctors of 
chiropractic within the scope of their license, 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 ``Chiropractic Patients' Freedom of 
Choice Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE.

    It is the purpose of this Act to expand recognition and coverage of 
a doctor of chiropractic as a ``physician'' under the Medicare program 
in connection with the performance of any function or action, including 
current service of ``manual manipulation of the spine to correct a 
subluxation as demonstrated to exist'', as is legally authorized by the 
State in which such doctor performs such function or action.

SEC. 3. PROVIDING MEDICARE COVERAGE FOR ALL PHYSICIANS' SERVICES 
              FURNISHED BY DOCTORS OF CHIROPRACTIC WITHIN THE SCOPE OF 
              THEIR LICENSE.

    (a) In General.--Section 1861(r) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1395x(r)) is amended by striking ``a chiropractor who is 
licensed as such by the State (or in a State which does not license 
chiropractors as such, is legally authorized to perform the services of 
a chiropractor in the jurisdiction in which he performs such services), 
and who meets uniform minimum standards promulgated by the Secretary, 
but only for the purpose of sections 1861(s)(1) and 1861(s)(2)(A) and 
only with respect to treatment by means of manual manipulation of the 
spine (to correct a subluxation) which he is legally authorized to 
perform by the State or jurisdiction in which such treatment is 
provided'' and inserting ``a doctor of chiropractic who is licensed as 
a doctor of chiropractic or a chiropractor by the State in which the 
function or action is performed and whose license provides legal 
authorization to perform such function or action in such State or in 
the jurisdiction in which the function or action is performed''.
    (b) Certain Coverage Limits.--Section 1833(aa) of the Social 
Security Act is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(11) Limitation on payment.--Notwithstanding any other 
        provision of this part, in the case of services of a 
        chiropractor described in section 1861(r)(5) whose pattern of 
        billing for the most recent previous period for which data is 
        available is determined under paragraph (1) to be aberrant 
        compared to peers, payment may be made under this part only if 
        such services are treatment by means of manual manipulation of 
        the spine.''.
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