S 1830119th CongressIntroduced

Right to Treat Act

Introduced: May 21, 2025

Healthcare

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Right to Treat Act would bar federal health agencies from regulating the practice of medicine and would prohibit federal laws from restricting doctors’ ability to prescribe or dispense off-label uses of FDA-approved drugs (or drugs available under a specified provision). In other words, it aims to remove federal regulatory authority over how medicine is practiced by clinicians and to protect off-label prescribing and dispensing from federal prohibition or restriction. The bill also includes a construction that does not override federal laws restricting abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, mercy killing, coercive family planning, certain female genital mutilation protections, or gender-transition medical interventions.

Key Points

1Federal agencies barred from regulating medical practice
2- No federal agency (including FDA, NIH, CDC) shall have the authority to regulate the practice of medicine.
3Protection for off-label use of drugs
4- Federal law, rules, regulations, or policies may not prohibit or restrict the prescription or disbursement for an unapproved use of any FDA-approved drug, or drugs available under the specified §561B provision.
5Scope is limited by construction
6- The act does not change or limit federal law, rules, or policies that restrict abortion, assisted suicide, euthanasia, mercy killing, coercive family planning, female genital mutilation, or gender-transition medical interventions.
7Emphasis on federal overreach reduction
8- The text seeks to clarify that federal authorities cannot regulate clinical decision-making or prescribing practices, shifting or clarifying where authority lies.
9Not a comprehensive reform of all health policy
10- The bill does not address malpractice, licensure, health insurance coverage, reimbursement criteria, or state medical board authority, nor does it establish new standards of care.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected- Clinicians and healthcare providers (physicians, nurses, pharmacists) who practice medicine and make prescribing decisions; patients relying on medical treatment decisions and access to off-label therapies.Secondary group/area affected- Federal health agencies (FDA, NIH, CDC) and drug manufacturers/pharmaceutical companies, as well as payers and health systems that manage drug use and prescribing programs.Additional impacts- Potential shifts in the balance between federal oversight and clinical autonomy; possible implications for patient safety surveillance, drug safety communications, and research oversight; likely interactions with state medical boards and state-level medical practice regulations; could influence coverage and reimbursement dynamics if off-label use becomes broader in practice.

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