I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6311 
To require private health insurers to cover care related to COVID-19 without 
cost-sharing and to provide for special enrollment periods for individuals 
diagnosed with COVID-19. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 19, 2020 
Mr. RUIZ (for himself and Mr. MALINOWSKI) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 
addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and Education and 
Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To require private health insurers to cover care related to 
COVID-19 without cost-sharing and to provide for spe-
cial enrollment periods for individuals diagnosed with 
COVID-19. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Care for COVID-19 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COVERAGE OF SERVICES RELATED TO COVID-19. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Title XXVII of the Public Health 
Service Act is amended by inserting after section 2719A 
(42 U.S.C. 300gg–19a) the following: 
‘‘SEC. 2720. COVERAGE OF SERVICES RELATED TO COVID- 
19. 
‘‘A group health plan, and a health insurance issuer 
offering group or individual health insurance coverage, 
shall provide coverage for and shall not impose any cost 
sharing requirements for outpatient and inpatient services 
related to the diagnosis, care, and treatment of COVID- 
19, including— 
‘‘(1) diagnostic services related to COVID-19; 
‘‘(2) supportive care for COVID-19; 
‘‘(3) vaccines for the prevention of COVID-19; 
‘‘(4) treatment services, including prescription 
drugs and medical devices, for the treatment of 
COVID-19 and of complications related to COVID- 
19; 
‘‘(5) inpatient and outpatient physician and 
hospital services related to COVID-19; and 
‘‘(6) any other service the Secretary determines 
appropriate.’’. 
(b) APPLICATION.—The amendment made by sub-
section (a) shall apply with respect to plan years beginning 
on or after January 1, 2020. 
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SEC. 3. SPECIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD. 
(a) 
PUBLIC
HEALTH
SERVICE
ACT.—Section 
2702(b)(2) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
300gg–1(b)(2)) is amended by inserting ‘‘, including a 
special enrollment period for individuals who are diag-
nosed with or have a presumptive positive diagnosis of 
COVID-19, beginning on the date on which the diagnosis 
or presumptive positive diagnosis is reported to the health 
insurance issuer’’ before the period at the end. 
(b) PATIENT PROTECTION AND AFFORDABLE CARE 
ACT.—Section 1311(c)(6) of the Patient Protection and 
Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 18031(c)(6)) is amend-
ed— 
(1) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(2) by redesignating subparagraph (D) as sub-
paragraph (E); and 
(3) by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) a special enrollment period for indi-
viduals who are diagnosed with or have a pre-
sumptive positive diagnosis of COVID-19, be-
ginning on the date on which the diagnosis or 
presumptive positive diagnosis is reported to the 
Exchange; and’’. 
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(c) 
SPECIAL
ENROLLMENT
PERIODS.—Section 
9801(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (26 U.S.C. 
9801(f)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(4) FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DIAGNOSED 
WITH OR HAVE A PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE DIAGNOSIS 
OF COVID-19.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A group health plan 
shall permit an employee who is eligible, but 
not enrolled, for coverage under the terms of 
the plan (or a dependent of such an employee 
if the dependent is eligible, but not enrolled, for 
coverage under such terms) to enroll for cov-
erage under the terms of the plan upon a diag-
nosis or a presumptive positive diagnosis of 
COVID-19, with the special enrollment period 
beginning on the date on which the diagnosis or 
presumptive positive diagnosis is reported to the 
group health plan. 
‘‘(B) ENROLLMENT
PERIOD.—The Sec-
retary shall promulgate regulations with respect 
to the special enrollment period under subpara-
graph (A), including establishing a time period 
for individuals who are diagnosed with or have 
a presumptive positive diagnosis of COVID-19 
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to enroll in coverage or change coverage, and 
effective date of such coverage.’’. 
(d) ERISA.—Section 701(f) of the Employee Retire-
ment Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1181(f)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DIAGNOSED 
WITH OR HAVE A PRESUMPTIVE POSITIVE DIAGNOSIS 
OF COVID-19.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—A group health plan 
or health insurance issuer in connection with a 
group health plan shall permit an employee who 
is eligible, but not enrolled, for coverage under 
the terms of the plan (or a dependent of such 
an employee if the dependent is eligible, but not 
enrolled, for coverage under such terms) to en-
roll for coverage under the terms of the plan 
upon a diagnosis or presumptive positive diag-
nosis of COVID-19, with the special enrollment 
period beginning on the date on which the diag-
nosis or presumptive positive diagnosis is re-
ported to the group health plan or health insur-
ance issuer or the diagnosis or presumptive 
positive diagnosis is confirmed by a health care 
provider. 
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‘‘(B) ENROLLMENT
PERIOD.—The Sec-
retary shall promulgate regulations with respect 
to the special enrollment period under subpara-
graph (A), including establishing a time period 
for individuals who are diagnosed with or have 
a presumptive positive diagnosis of COVID-19 
to enroll in coverage and effective date of such 
coverage.’’. 
Æ 
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