Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID–19 Pandemic Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6616 To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide coverage under the Medicaid program for vaccines and treatment for COVID–19 for uninsured individuals without the imposition of cost shar- ing requirements, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 24, 2020 Mr. CA´RDENAS (for himself and Ms. SA´NCHEZ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to provide coverage under the Medicaid program for vaccines and treatment for COVID–19 for uninsured individuals without the imposition of cost sharing re- quirements, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Stronger Medicaid Re- 4 sponse to the COVID–19 Pandemic Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:50 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6616.IH H6616 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6616 IH SEC. 2. OPTIONAL COVERAGE AT NO COST SHARING OF 1 COVID–19 TREATMENT AND VACCINES UNDER 2 MEDICAID FOR UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1902(a)(10) of the Social 4 Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)) is amended, in the 5 matter following subparagraph (G), by striking ‘‘and any 6 visit described in section 1916(a)(2)(G)’’ and inserting the 7 following: ‘‘, any COVID–19 vaccine that is administered 8 during any such portion (and the administration of such 9 vaccine), any item or service that is furnished during any 10 such portion for the treatment of COVID–19 or a condi- 11 tion that may complicate the treatment of COVID–19, 12 and any services described in section 1916(a)(2)(G)’’. 13 (b) DEFINITION OF UNINSURED INDIVIDUAL.— 14 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (ss) of section 15 1902 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a) 16 is amended to read as follows: 17 ‘‘(ss) UNINSURED INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—For pur- 18 poses of this section, the term ‘uninsured individual’ 19 means, notwithstanding any other provision of this title, 20 any individual who is not covered by minimum essential 21 coverage (as defined in section 5000A(f)(1) of the Internal 22 Revenue Code of 1986).’’. 23 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 24 by paragraph (1) shall take effect and apply as if in- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:50 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6616.IH H6616 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6616 IH cluded in the enactment of the Families First 1 Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116–127). 2 (c) CLARIFICATION REGARDING EMERGENCY SERV- 3 ICES FOR CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.—Section 1903(v)(2) of 4 the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)(2)) is amend- 5 ed by adding at the end the following flush sentence: 6 ‘‘For purposes of subparagraph (A), care and serv- 7 ices described in such subparagraph include any in 8 vitro diagnostic product described in section 9 1905(a)(3)(B) that is administered during any por- 10 tion of the emergency period described in such sec- 11 tion beginning on or after the date of the enactment 12 of this sentence (and the administration of such 13 product), any COVID–19 vaccine that is adminis- 14 tered during any such portion (and the administra- 15 tion of such vaccine), any item or service that is fur- 16 nished during any such portion for the treatment of 17 COVID–19 or a condition that may complicate the 18 treatment of COVID–19, and any services described 19 in section 1916(a)(2)(G).’’. 20 (d) INCLUSION OF COVID–19 CONCERN AS AN 21 EMERGENCY CONDITION.—Section 1903(v)(3) of the So- 22 cial Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)(3)) is amended by 23 adding at the end the following flush sentence: 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:50 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6616.IH H6616 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6616 IH ‘‘Such term includes any indication that an alien de- 1 scribed in paragraph (1) may have contracted 2 COVID–19.’’. 3 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:50 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6616.IH H6616 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS