Medicare patients gain right to clergy visits under new bill
H.R. 9851 — Protecting Access to Spiritual Treatment and Organized Religion Act of 2026 · Filed by Mike Flood (R-NE) · Introduced Jul 22, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill amends Medicare law to require healthcare providers to grant patients access to clergy members of the patient's choosing, beginning January 1, 2028. Patients can request a clergy visit, and providers must allow it as long as the clergy member follows the facility's safety and security protocols set by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is to add a new patient right—access to clergy—into Medicare provider participation requirements. It is a straightforward expansion of patient autonomy in healthcare settings, not a deregulation, subsidy, or carve-out.
What the text implies
- Clergy access is triggered by patient request and subject to provider-set safety protocols, meaning providers retain practical gatekeeping authority; the right is not absolute and may be limited by facility security or operational concerns.
- The bill does not specify how providers must accommodate clergy visits (timing, location, duration, frequency limits), leaving implementation details to HHS rulemaking and provider discretion.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who it affects
Medicare patients gain a new right to request and receive visits from clergy of their choice, subject only to reasonable safety protocols. This expands patient autonomy and religious freedom without imposing costs on patients or removing existing protections—providers retain authority to enforce safety measures.