Legislators are again turning their attention to physician-owned hospitals, advocating to remove the moratorium on new POHs put in place by the ACA, according to the Ripon Advance.
U.S. Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, and 33 other members of Congress sent a letter to CMS Administrator Seema Verma on May 8 requesting the agency design a Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation demonstration focused on POHs.
Last week, Rep. Burgess again spoke on the issue, saying, "Through innovation, CMS can optimize the role of physician-owned hospitals to improve healthcare for American patients, restoring doctors' liberty and expanding Americans' access to quality care," according to the Ripon Advance.
He also mentioned that allowing more POHs could reduce the effect of hospital consolidation. In December, the Trump administration recommended removing the moratorium in its "Reforming America's Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition" report.