Washington, D.C. — Congressman Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (R-TX), Republican Leader of the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health, and Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) introduced H.R. 3062, the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2019, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s ban on new physician-owned hospitals.

“Physician-owned hospitals deliver high-quality care to American patients. It is wrong that the Affordable Care Act limits physicians’ ability to own and run hospitals,” said Dr. Burgess. “I have introduced the Patient Access to Higher Quality Health Care Act of 2019 to restore doctors’ freedom to innovate and serve their patients. I am grateful to my fellow Texan, former Rep. Sam Johnson, for leading this important effort in past years. It is a privilege to carry on this work alongside Rep. Gonzalez as we strive to promote quality care for patients in Texas and around the country.”

“Every American deserves access to the best care possible,” Congressman Gonzalez said. “Our legislation would repeal restrictions on many of our nation’s top performing hospitals and allow them to compete and focus their attention on patient care. I am proud to work with my fellow Texan, Dr. Michael Burgess, to remove burdensome restrictions, empower these hospitals to raise the standard of care while lowering healthcare costs for patients, and expand patient access to high quality healthcare services in Texas and throughout the nation.” 

The full text of H.R. 3062 is available here.