Presidential Documents

Federal Register / Vol. 86, No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / Presidential Documents 7201 

Executive Order 13997 of January 21, 2021 

Improving and Expanding Access to Care and Treatments for 

COVID–19 

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the 

laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered as follows: 

Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of my Administration to improve the 

capacity of the Nation’s healthcare systems to address coronavirus disease 

2019 (COVID–19), to accelerate the development of novel therapies to treat 

COVID–19, and to improve all Americans’ access to quality and affordable 

healthcare. 

Sec. 2. Accelerating the Development of Novel Therapies. To enhance the 

Nation’s ability to quickly develop the most promising COVID–19 interventions, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in consultation 

with the Director of the National Institutes of Health, shall: 

(a) develop a plan for supporting a range of studies, including largescale randomized trials, for identifying optimal clinical management strategies, and for supporting the most promising treatments for COVID–19 and 

future high-consequence public health threats, that can be easily manufactured, distributed, and administered, both domestically and internationally; 

(b) develop a plan, in consultation with non-governmental partners, as 

appropriate, to support research: 

(i) in rural hospitals and other rural locations; and 

(ii) that studies the emerging evidence concerning the long-term impact 

of COVID–19 on patient health; and 

(c) consider steps to ensure that clinical trials include populations that 

have been historically underrepresented in such trials. 

Sec. 3. Improving the Capacity of the Nation’s Healthcare Systems to Address 

COVID–19. To bolster the capacity of the Nation’s healthcare systems to 

support healthcare workers and patients: 

(a) The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of HHS, the Secretary of Veterans 

Affairs, and the heads of other relevant executive departments and agencies 

(agencies), in coordination with the Coordinator of the COVID–19 Response 

and Counselor to the President (COVID–19 Response Coordinator), shall 

promptly, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, provide targeted 

surge assistance to critical care and long-term care facilities, including nursing 

homes and skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, intermediate 

care facilities for individuals with disabilities, and residential treatment 

centers, in their efforts to combat the spread of COVID–19. 

(b) The COVID–19 Response Coordinator, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of HHS, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 

and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall review the needs of Federal 

facilities providing care to COVID–19 patients and develop recommendations 

for further actions such facilities can take to support active military personnel, veterans, and Tribal nations during this crisis. 

(c) The Secretary of HHS shall promptly: 

(i) issue recommendations on how States and healthcare providers can 

increase the capacity of their healthcare workforces to address the COVID– 

19 pandemic; and 

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(ii) through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 

Services Administration, take appropriate actions, as consistent with applicable law, to expand access to programs and services designed to meet 

the long-term health needs of patients recovering from COVID–19, including through technical assistance and support to community health centers. 

Sec. 4. Improving Access to Quality and Affordable Healthcare. (a) To facilitate the equitable and effective distribution of therapeutics and bolster clinical 

care capacity where needed to support patient care, the Secretary of Defense, 

the Secretary of HHS, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination 

with the COVID–19 Response Coordinator, shall establish targets for the 

production, allocation, and distribution of COVID–19 treatments. To meet 

those targets, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of HHS, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall consider prioritizing, including through grants 

for research and development, investments in therapeutics that can be readily 

administered and scaled. 

(b) To facilitate the utilization of existing COVID–19 treatments, the Secretary of HHS shall identify barriers to maximizing the effective and equitable 

use of existing COVID–19 treatments and shall, as appropriate and consistent 

with applicable law, provide support to State, local, Tribal, and territorial 

authorities aimed at overcoming those barriers. 

(c) To address the affordability of treatments and clinical care, the Secretary 

of HHS shall, promptly and as appropriate and consistent with applicable 

law: 

(i) evaluate the COVID–19 Uninsured Program, operated by the Health 

Resources and Services Administration within HHS, and take any available 

steps to promote access to treatments and clinical care for those without 

adequate coverage, to support safety-net providers in delivering such treatments and clinical care, and to make the Program easy to use and accessible 

for patients and providers, with information about the Program widely 

disseminated; and 

(ii) evaluate Medicare, Medicaid, group health plans, and health insurance 

issuers, and take any available steps to promote insurance coverage for 

safe and effective COVID–19 treatments and clinical care. 

Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed 

to impair or otherwise affect: 

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, 

or the head thereof; or 

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 

relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. 

(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and 

subject to the availability of appropriations. 

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(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, 

substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party 

against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, 

employees, or agents, or any other person. 

THE WHITE HOUSE, 

January 21, 2021. 

[FR Doc. 2021–01858 

Filed 1–25–21; 11:15 am] 

Billing code 3295–F1–P 


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