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HR 1487 113th Congress House

Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013

Official title: To amend titles XVIII and XI of the Social Security Act to establish an exception from the physician self-referral prohibition and a safe harbor from Federal a… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend titles XVIII and XI of the Social Security Act to establish an exception from the physician self-referral prohibition and a safe harbor from Federal antikickback and other sanctions for incentive payments made by hospitals to physicians under certain incentive payment programs.

Introduced: April 11, 2013 See on congress.gov
Health Administrative law and regulatory proceduresDepartment of Health and Human ServicesHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care quality
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Health facilities and institutionsHealth personnelHospital careMedical ethicsMedicare
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This bill died when the 113th Congress ended
It never became law before the 113th Congress (2013–2014) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 4 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 23, 2013
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Apr 12, 2013
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
Apr 11, 2013
Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Apr 11, 2013
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 23, 2013

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013 - Amends title XVIII (Medicare) and XI of the Social Security Act with respect to the prohibition against certain (potential financial conflict-of-interest) physician referrals.

Excepts from the physician self-referral prohibition any monetary incentive payments made by hospitals to physicians under certain incentive payment programs designed to align incentives among hospitals and physicians (through techniques such as product standardization, the substitution of lower cost products, and care coordination initiatives that encourage medically appropriate decreases in length of stay) to improve efficiency and decrease costs while maintaining or improving quality.

Exempts such monetary incentive payments (creates a safe harbor for them) from federal criminal antikickback and other sanctions.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1487: Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013. 113th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1487/
MLA
"H.R. 1487: Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013." 113th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1487/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1487, 113th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1487/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1487: Improved Health Care at Lower Cost Act of 2013](https://openamerica.io/bill/113-HR-1487/)
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