H 4617
An Act to remove barriers to patient care
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- Passed House
- Passed Senate
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- Became Law
Bill overview
This bill amends several sections of Massachusetts General Laws to allow advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) to fulfill certain requirements typically handled by attending, treating, or consulting physicians when seeking coverage or reimbursement for health services. Specifically, it removes barriers related to diagnostic evaluations, medical necessity determinations, certifications, orders, prescriptions, and treatment recommendations. The bill also updates language to include ‘treating provider’ instead of ‘treating physician’ in certain contexts.
Key provisions
- Allows APRNs to fulfill requirements for diagnostic evaluations, medical necessity determinations, certifications, written orders, prescriptions, or treatment recommendations.
- Modifies Chapter 175 of the General Laws to include this provision.
- Updates Chapter 176A, 176B, and 176G of the General Laws with similar provisions.
- Changes section 16 of Chapter 176O to include ‘advanced practice registered nurse’ when referring to a treating provider.
- Replaces ‘treating physician’ with ‘treating provider’ in section 16 of Chapter 176O.
- Expands the language in section 16 of Chapter 176O to include ‘treating advanced practice registered nurse’.
Who is affected
- Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs)
- Healthcare Providers
- Patients
- Health Insurance Companies
- The Healthcare System
Notable changes
Sponsors
Official sponsors from legislative records.
Primary sponsor
Joint Committee on Financial Services
Cosponsor
Daniel M. Donahue
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Bill H.4617 194th (Current)
An Act to remove barriers to patient care
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Bill Information
Bill Information
Sponsor: Joint Committee on Financial Services Status: Referred to Joint Committee on Health Care Financing
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Bill History Cosponsors Committee Vote Committee Summary
Bill History
Displaying 5 actions for Bill H.4617
| Date | Branch | Action |
| 10/20/2025 | House | Reported from the committee on Financial Services |
| 10/20/2025 | House | New draft of H1140 |
| 10/20/2025 | House | Reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on Health Care Financing |
| 12/8/2025 | House | Reporting date extended to Wednesday, March 18, 2026 |
| 3/19/2026 | House | Reporting date extended to Monday, June 15, 2026 |
Similar Bills
H.1140 194th (Current)
An Act to remove barriers to patient care
S.801 194th (Current)
An Act to remove barriers to patient care
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