[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6231 Introduced in House (IH)]
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116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6231
To ensure affordable coverage of certain vaccines and testing services
under group health plans and group and individual health insurance
coverage during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 12, 2020
Mr. Bucshon (for himself and Ms. Schakowsky) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To ensure affordable coverage of certain vaccines and testing services
under group health plans and group and individual health insurance
coverage during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring Access to COVID-19
Preventive Care Act of 2020''.
SEC. 2. ENSURING AFFORDABLE COVERAGE OF CERTAIN VACCINES AND TESTING
SERVICES UNDER GROUP HEALTH PLANS AND GROUP AND
INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE DURING THE COVID-19
PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY.
(a) Expedited Meeting of ACIP for COVID-19 Vaccines.--
(1) In general.--Notwithstanding section 3091 of the 21st
Century Cures Act (21 U.S.C. 360bbb-4 note), the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices shall meet and issue a
recommendation with respect to a vaccine that is intended to
prevent or treat COVID-19 not later than 15 business days after
the date on which such vaccine is licensed under section 351 of
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 262).
(2) Definition.--In this subsection, the term ``Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices'' means the Advisory
Committee on Immunization Practices established by the
Secretary of Health and Human Services pursuant to section 222
of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 217a), acting
through the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention.
(b) Authority To Waive Cost Sharing for Testing Services for COVID-
19.--Section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-13)
is amended--
(1) in the header, by inserting before the period at the
end the following: ``; coverage of certain testing services for
covid-19''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subsection:
``(d) Coverage of Certain Testing Services for COVID-19.--
``(1) In general.--A group health plan, and a health
insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance
coverage, shall, during a period described in paragraph (2), at
a minimum provide coverage for and not impose any cost sharing
requirements for an item or service specified by the Secretary
under paragraph (3) with respect to such period.
``(2) Period described.--For purposes of this subsection
and with respect to an item or service specified under
paragraph (3) and a group health plan or group or individual
health insurance coverage, a period described in this paragraph
is a period specified by the Secretary that--
``(A) begins during the public health emergency
declared by the Secretary pursuant to section 319 on
January 31, 2020, entitled `Determination that a Public
Health Emergency Exists Nationwide as the Result of the
2019 Novel Coronavirus' (or any renewal of such
declaration pursuant to such section); and
``(B) ends on the earlier of--
``(i) the termination of such declaration;
and
``(ii) in the case the United States
Preventive Services Task Force issues a rating
(other than `I') with respect to such item or
service--
``(I) in the case such rating is an
`A' or `B', the day before the date on
which the requirements of subsection
(a) apply to such plan or coverage with
respect to such item or service; or
``(II) in the case such rating is
not described in subclause (I), the
date such rating is so issued.
``(3) Specified items and services.--For purposes of this
subsection, the Secretary may specify an item or service under
this paragraph with respect to a period described in paragraph
(2) only if such item or service--
``(A) is a testing service intended to detect SARS-
CoV-2 or diagnose COVID-19; and
``(B) does not, as of the date such item or service
is so specified, have in effect a rating from the
United States Preventive Services Task Force (or has in
effect a rating of `I').''.
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