,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #bhcc  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #be1 #bjac ,mr4
 ,gingrey of ,georgia 7for himself1 ,mr4
 ,burgess1 ,mr4 ,harris1 ,mr4           
,des,jarlais1 ,mr4 ,cassidy1 ,mr4 ,roe  
of ,tennessee1 and ,mr4 ,jones7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,commerce  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend the 
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act so as to eliminate the       
authority of the ,secretary of ,health  
and ,human ,services to limit the       
ability of medical providers to conduct 
lawful business1 and for other purposes4
  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be    
cited as the ,safeguarding ,care ,of    
,patients ,everywhere ,act or the       
,,scope ,act4  #b4 ,findings and purpose
  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds the     
following3  7#a7 ,the practice of       
medicine is guided by a set of          
principles contained in the ,hippocratic
 oath1 which in part directs medical    

practitioners to 8remember that ,i do   
not treat a fever chart1 a cancerous    
growth1 but a sick human being04  7#b7  
,historically1 the practice of medicine 
has been principally governed by the    
laws of each of the #ej ,states1 not the
 ,federal ,government4  7#c7 ,state     
medical licensing and disciplinary      
boards administer medical practice laws 
and have the principal responsibility to
 protect the public from improper and   
unlawful medical practices4  7#d7 ,such 
boards define activities that constitute
 the legitimate practice of medicine4   
7#e7 ,the actions of the ,secretary of  
,health and ,human ,services are not    
governed by the ,hippocratic oath or a  
medical board of any of the #ej ,states4
  7#f7 ,the actions of the ,secretary   
are not determined solely by the needs  
of patients4  7#g7 ,individual and      
institutional financial interests can   
influence the discretion and actions of 
the ,secretary4  7#h7 ,the ,patient     
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act1 

in subsection 7h7 of section #acaa 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #ahjca71 grants the ,secretary
 the authority to--  7,a7 make findings 
regarding the quality of medical care   
and the activities that constitute the  
legitimate practice of medicine2 and    
7,b7 on the basis of these findings1    
terminate or limit the ability of       
medical providers to conduct lawful     
business1 thus restricting the practice 
of medicine by curtailing economic      
activity4  7b7 ,purpose ,the purpose of 
this ,act is to remove from the         
,secretary such improper authority1     
which presents a threat to the health   
and welfare of patients in the ,united  
,states4  #c4 ,repeal of restrictions on
 the professional practice of physicians
 and other health care providers        
entering into contracts with health     
plans ,section #acaa of the ,patient    
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjca7 is amended by    
striking subsection 7h71 relating to the
 authority of the ,secretary of ,health 

and ,human ,services to regulate        
contracts between qualified health plans
 and health care providers based on     
findings of health care quality4