[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 5062 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 5062

 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase access to 
                 mental health programs for physicians.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 29, 2022

  Mr. Daines (for himself and Ms. Stabenow) introduced the following 
  bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

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                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to increase access to 
                 mental health programs for physicians.

    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 ``Protect Our Physicians Act''.

SEC. 2. ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS FOR PHYSICIANS.

    Section 1877(e) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395nn(e)) is 
amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(9) Mental health program for physicians.--The provision 
        by an entity of an evidence-based or evidence-informed program 
        for physicians for the primary purpose of preventing suicide 
        and improving mental health and resiliency and for training 
        such physicians in appropriate strategies to promote their 
        mental health, if such program--
                    ``(A) is in a policy set out in writing and 
                approved in advance of the operation of the program by 
                the governing body of the entity;
                    ``(B) is offered to all physicians on the bona fide 
                medical staff of the entity or in the local community 
                or service area of the entity;
                    ``(C) is offered to all such physicians on the same 
                terms and conditions regardless of the volume or value 
                of referrals or other business generated by the 
                physician for the entity; and
                    ``(D) meets any other requirements as the Secretary 
                may impose by regulation as needed to protect against 
                program or patient abuse.''.
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