U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) has introduced the Ensuring Access to Essential Providers Act of 2025, a bill aimed at improving health care access for rural populations by requiring Medicare Advantage plans to include essential community providers in their networks.
“No patient should have to travel hours for care when there is a clinic or hospital in their community ready to help,” said Dr. Cassidy. “This bill makes sure Louisianans in rural areas have care closer to home.”
The legislation has garnered support from several organizations, including the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers, the Alliance of Safety Net Hospitals, America’s Essential Hospitals, the American Hospital Association, Mental Health America, NAMI, the National Association for Behavioral Health, the National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers, National Council of Urban Indian Health, the National Rural Health Association, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and the AIDS Institute.
Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) joined Senator Cassidy in introducing this legislation.
The proposed act would amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to ensure that Medicare Advantage plans incorporate essential community providers into their coverage networks.
