Congress·In Committee·S. 717

Congress Bill Would Let More Clinicians Refer Medicare Patients to Heart and Lung Rehab Programs

Increasing Access to Quality Cardiac Rehabilitation Care Act of 2025

about 1 year ago·View on Congress.gov

Part of: Bipartisan Push to Permanently Expand At-Home Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab

⏸

Stalled

No legislative action in over 90 days.

Legislative Progress

Senate

House

President

Law

Key Points

Expands who can prescribe Medicare-covered heart rehab and lung rehab to include certain advanced practice clinicians, not just doctors.
Changes the setting language so cardiac rehab can be provided in a broader “office setting,” which may open up more places to offer it.
Could help patients start rehab sooner after a heart or lung event by reducing bottlenecks when a doctor isn’t immediately available.
Affects Medicare patients who need cardiac rehab or pulmonary rehab, and the clinics and medical offices that provide these programs.
Would take effect for services given starting 6 months after the bill becomes law.

HealthcareMedicare Medicaid

Impact Analysis

Personal Impact

How this policy affects specific groups of people

Positive Impacts(2)

Medicare

Helps

Chronic Illness

Helps

Milestones

2 milestones2 actions

Feb 25, 2025Senate

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Feb 25, 2025

Introduced in Senate

What Happens Next

Projected impacts based on AI analysis

6 months after the bill becomes law

Medicare’s new rehab prescribing and oversight rules take effect

Starting on the effective date, eligible Medicare patients can have cardiac or pulmonary rehab exercise plans prescribed by a physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or clinical nurse specialist (not only a physician), which can reduce delays.

Around the effective date and the first few months after

Rehab clinics update intake and referral workflows

Programs may change referral forms and scheduling so patients can start rehab based on an NP/PA/CNS order, which can open more appointment slots and reduce cancellations.

Beginning shortly after the effective date

More Medicare patients are able to enroll in rehab sooner after a heart or lung event

People recovering from a heart procedure or living with lung disease may get into supervised exercise and education sooner, which can improve recovery and day-to-day stamina.