republic-os/legal/us/code/title-42/chapter-157/section-18122.md

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LegalText	42 U.S.C. § 18122	Rule of construction regarding health care providers	us	united_states_code	code_section	42	THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE	157	QUALITY, AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS	18122	42 U.S.C. § 18122	current	119-100	2026-06-26	official	https://uscode.house.gov/download/releasepoints/us/pl/119/100/xml_usc42@119-100.zip	/us/usc/t42/s18122	data/legal/raw/us/code/title-42/usc42.xml	4f6dbb6ce02e36f8544aff05ceaaf4beb840116159c0d41c05beacf4853d136d	644321055a08eb1f260a6a3e31ac157fa024756abf612a9fd6857e7e400cf24e	b17ce2a8de8f308dff6d1663b12ac45b0d3b36cc093011915db4157e3c9921cd	2026-07-04	official	legal us-code

42 U.S.C. § 18122 - Rule of construction regarding health care providers

Text

(1) In general Subject to paragraph (3), the development, recognition, or implementation of any guideline or other standard under any Federal health care provision shall not be construed to establish the standard of care or duty of care owed by a health care provider to a patient in any medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim.

(2) Definitions For purposes of this section:

(A) Federal health care provision The term “Federal health care provision” means any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq., 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).

(B) Health care provider The term “health care provider” means any individual, group practice, corporation of health care professionals, or hospital—

(i) licensed, registered, or certified under Federal or State laws or regulations to provide health care services; or

(ii) required to be so licensed, registered, or certified but that is exempted by other statute or regulation.

(C) Medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim The term “medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim” means a medical malpractice action or claim (as defined in section 11151(7) of this title) and includes a liability action or claim relating to a health care provider’s prescription or provision of a drug, device, or biological product (as such terms are defined in section 321 of title 21 or section 262 of this title).

(D) State The term “State” includes the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and any other commonwealth, possession, or territory of the United States.

(3) No preemption Nothing in paragraph (1) or any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public Law 111–148), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (Public Law 111–152), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq., 42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.) shall be construed to preempt any State or common law governing medical professional or medical product liability actions or claims.

(Pub. L. 114–10, title I, § 106(d), Apr. 16, 2015, 129 Stat. 142.)

Notes

Editorial Notes

References in TextThe Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is Pub. L. 111–148, Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 119. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 18001 of this title and Tables. The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is Pub. L. 111–152, Mar. 30, 2010, 124 Stat. 1029. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2010 Amendment note set out under section 1305 of this title and Tables. The Social Security Act, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is act Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, 49 Stat. 620. Titles XVIII and XIX of the Act are classified generally to subchapters XVIII (§ 1395 et seq.) and XIX (§ 1396 et seq.), respectively, of chapter 7 of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 1305 of this title and Tables.

Codification Section was enacted as part of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, and not as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which comprises this chapter.