U.S. Senator Rand Paul, R-Bowling Green, has introduced the Legalizing Premium Health Care Act, legislation he says will give Medicare beneficiaries the freedom to see the doctor of their choice.
In recent years, burdensome paperwork requirements and declining reimbursement rates have driven thousands of healthcare providers, particularly those in private practice, to leave Medicare. As of March 2026, more than 50,000 physicians nationwide had opted out of the program.
“At 65, seniors are pushed into Medicare, only to discover they can no longer afford to see the doctor they’ve trusted for years,” Paul said. “These patients shouldn’t have to abandon their longtime physician or drain their savings just to receive care they’ve already paid for through Medicare taxes. The Legalizing Premium Health Care Act reduces government interference, respects the doctor-patient relationship, and restores patients’ choice in their health care decisions.”
Under current rules, when a Medicare-eligible provider opts out, patients must pay the entire bill themselves and receive no reimbursement. The Legalizing Premium Health Care Act creates a third option: Medicare will directly reimburse beneficiaries (or the provider filing on their behalf) for covered services at the standard Medicare rate. Seniors would only pay any difference between the provider’s charge and Medicare’s approved amount.
The hope is that this legislation will dramatically lower costs to patients, compared to paying the full bill.
The reform would apply to a wide range of health professionals. This includes physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, certified nurse-midwives, clinical social workers, clinical psychologists, registered dietitians or nutrition professionals, physical or occupational therapists, qualified speech-language pathologists, and qualified audiologists.
There is no word yet on when any hearings will be scheduled on the bill.
Paul, who is a doctor of ophthalmology, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2011.
You may read the nine page bill in its entirety HERE.
(Photo: U.S. Sen. Rand Paul after going to the polls on Tuesday, courtesy of Kentucky Today)
By Tom Latek, Kentucky Today
