# § 18122. Rule of construction regarding health care providers
**(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** Public Law 111–148Public Law 111–15242 U.S.C. 139542 U.S.C. 1396
The term “Federal health care provision” means any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act ( et seq., 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** section 11151(7) of this titlesection 321 of title 21section 262 of this title
The term “medical malpractice or medical product liability action or claim” means a medical malpractice action or claim (as defined in ) 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 or ).
**(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** Public Law 111–148Public Law 111–15242 U.S.C. 139542 U.S.C. 1396
Nothing in paragraph (1) or any provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (), title I or subtitle B of title II of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (), or title XVIII or XIX of the Social Security Act ( et seq., et seq.) shall be construed to preempt any State or common law governing medical professional or medical product liability actions or claims.
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**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 114–10, title I, § 106(d), Apr. 16, 2015, 129 Stat. 142.)
## Editorial Notes
### References in Text
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is , , . For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under and Tables.
The Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is , , . For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2010 Amendment note set out under and Tables.
The Social Security Act, referred to in pars. (2)(A) and (3), is , . 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 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.