Empowering Patient Choice of Medical Care Act

This legislation ends Medicare’s “inpatient‑only” list—the list that says certain surgeries or procedures can only be done if you’re admitted to the hospital. Starting January 1, 2026, federal health officials may not refuse to label a service as an outpatient hospital service just because they think it must be done inpatient. This change could let more procedures happen in hospital outpatient departments, giving patients more choice and possibly shorter stays.

In plain terms, it stops Medicare from saying “inpatient only” is the sole reason to block outpatient coverage for a service. That opens the door for more services to be covered when done without an overnight stay.

• Who is affected: Medicare patients and hospitals that provide outpatient care.
• What changes: The inpatient‑only list goes away; services can be considered for outpatient coverage even if they used to be inpatient only.
• When: Begins January 1, 2026.