Medicare expands cardiac rehab access beyond physicians
H.R. 6894 — Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025 · Filed by Terri Sewell (D-AL) · 1 cosponsor · Introduced Dec 18, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill expands Medicare coverage of cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs by allowing physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists—not just physicians—to prescribe and oversee these programs. It also broadens the definition of eligible settings from 'a physician's office' to 'the office setting,' potentially including other clinical locations. The changes take effect 6 months after enactment.
Why we flagged it
The bill's operative mechanism is straightforward: it expands the class of qualified providers eligible to deliver already-covered rehabilitation services under Medicare, with no new restrictions or carve-outs. This is a direct access-broadening measure.
What the text implies
- Expansion of scope of practice for non-physician clinicians may increase demand for training and credentialing in cardiac/pulmonary rehabilitation, potentially creating workforce development pressure.
- Broader provider eligibility could shift reimbursement patterns if physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists command different fee schedules than physicians under Medicare.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
physician assistants; nurse practitioners; clinical nurse specialists