REDUCE Act of 2019

To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry out a Health in All Policies Demonstration Project, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Researching and Ending Disparities by Understanding and Creating Equity Act of 2019 REDUCE Act of 2019 2. Health in All Policies Demonstration Project (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this section referred to as the Secretary (b) Grants In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities to establish, implement, or enhance, in the jurisdiction of the respective entity, a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and community-focused approach to improve the health of all communities and people that— (1) integrates and articulates health considerations in policymaking across sectors; (2) addresses— (A) health; (B) equity; and (C) sustainability; and (3) targets a significant proportion of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, or long-term care Medicaid recipients. (c) Evaluation The Secretary shall identify metrics for evaluating the implementation of a grant under this section and, using such metrics, evaluate each grantee on the extent to which the approach implemented through the grant— (1) supports intersectoral collaboration; (2) benefits multiple partners; (3) engages stakeholders; (4) creates structural or procedural change; (5) impacts or relates to a model or demonstration project administered by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, such as an advanced payment model; and (6) provides cost savings, delivers efficiencies, and improves overall health, including health disparity reduction and health equity improvements. (d) Eligibility To be eligible to receive a grant under this section, an entity shall— (1) be a State, territory of the United States, Tribe, city, or county; and (2) submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (e) Prioritization; geographical diversity In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall— (1) give priority to eligible entities seeking to use a grant to improve, as described in subsection (b), the health of populations that— (A) are target populations described in subsection (b)(3); and (B) have significant health inequities throughout the populations; and (2) seek to ensure geographical diversity among grantees. (f) Reports by grantees As a condition on receipt of a grant under this section, the Secretary shall require grantees— (1) to provide a report to the Secretary upon completion of the Health in All Policies Demonstration Project; and (2) to include in such report the extent to which the approach implemented achieved the goals listed in paragraphs (1) through (6) of subsection (c). (g) Report to Congress (1) Submission The Secretary shall submit to the Congress— (A) not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act, an initial report on the Health in All Policies Demonstration Project; and (B) not later than one year after the completion of the Demonstration Project, a final report on the Demonstration Project. (2) Contents of initial report The report under paragraph (1)(A) shall include— (A) evaluation of the success of soliciting applications; (B) identification of the number of applications received; (C) specification of the timeline for awarding funding; and (D) identification of barriers to implementing the Health in All Policies Demonstration Project, if any. (3) Contents of final report The report under paragraph (1)(B) shall each include the following: (A) An assessment of the Health in All Policies Demonstration Project, including an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Demonstration Project. (B) Recommendations for Federal legislative actions— (i) to integrate, based on such assessment, a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach to improve the health of all communities; and (ii) to support eligible entities in pursuing a comparable integration of such an approach across State programs. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) The term Medicare beneficiaries (2) The term Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles (i) Authorization of appropriations To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $2,000,000 for the period of fiscal years 2021 through 2024. 3. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall seek to enter into an arrangement, not later than 60 days after the date of enactment of this Act, with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (or if the Academies decline to enter into such arrangement, another appropriate entity) under which the Academies (or other appropriate entity) agrees to prepare a report on eliminating health disparities to improve health equity. (b) Report (1) Contents The report prepared pursuant to subsection (a) shall— (A) review evidence on how social determinants of health affect health outcomes among middle-income Medicare beneficiaries and Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles; (B) examine successful interventions, including with respect to health outcomes, that address social determinants of health (including transportation, meals, housing, access to health care, personal care assistance, and access to long-term services and supports), reduce health disparities, and improve health equity; (C) make conclusions regarding— (i) the effectiveness of existing programs and policies of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services intended to reduce health disparities; (ii) best practices and successful strategies that reduce health disparities; and (iii) efforts needed to address health disparities related to health care workforce shortages; and (D) make recommendations regarding— (i) priorities for health disparities interventions within Federal health care programs; and (ii) potential opportunities for expansion or replication of successful interventions and payment models to reduce health disparities and improve health equity. (2) Submission The arrangement under subsection (a) shall require the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (or other appropriate entity), not later than 18 months after entering into such arrangement, to finalize the report prepared pursuant to such arrangement and submit such report to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committees on Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate. (c) Definitions In this section: (1) The term health equity (2) The term middle-income Medicare beneficiaries (3) The term Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles (4) The term social determinants of health

Summary: Researching and Ending Disparities by Understanding and Creating Equity Act of 2019 or the REDUCE Act of 2019 This bill requires the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement a Health in All Policies demonstration project. States, territories, tribes, and certain local government entities may apply for grants through the project to establish or enhance collaborative approaches to improve the health of individuals and communities. The grant funds must be used to (1) integrate health considerations in policymaking across sectors; (2) address health, equity, and sustainability; and (3) target a significant proportion of Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare-Medicaid dual eligibles, or long-term care Medicaid recipients.The bill also directs the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine or another appropriate entity to produce a report on eliminating health disparities to improve health equity.