Physician-Owned Hospitals Brace for New Push to Ban Them

Democrats' new push to pass their health reform legislation is reigniting concerns that Congress could ban any new growth of physician-owned hospitals.

Concerns focus on differences on the start date of the ban between the House and Senate versions of the reform bills, which have to be reconciled before the final measure could be passed. The House version would start the ban retroactively on Feb. 1 and the Senate version sets an Aug. 1 deadline, which still does not give enough time to 75 of the 127 physician-owned hospitals under construction, according to the Physician Hospitals of America.

Saying a House vote on the bill might come as early as the week of March 22, PHA Executive Director Molly Sandvig urged members to help lobby to change the provision, in case the reforms do pass. Members are scheduled to attend a PHA conference in Washington on March 16-17.

Adding to the PHA's concerns is the loss of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. Mr. Rangel, who listened to the organization's concerns, was to be replaced by Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), a crusading opponent of physician-owned hospitals. But now Rep. Sander Levin (D-Mich.) will take over the powerful chairmanship, according to the Washington Post.

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