Preventive Care Awareness Act of 2021
Bill: S.3098 | Sponsor: Sen. Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN)
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Preventive Care Awareness Act of 2021
This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promote the use of preventive health care services. In particular, HHS must focus on decreasing disparities in accessing preventive services for individuals in rural and underserved communities who delayed or forewent recommended preventive services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Specifically, HHS must carry out a campaign to increase public awareness about and use of recommended preventive services. HHS must also convene a task force to develop recommendations regarding preventive services during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics. The recommendations must address, among other considerations, reducing disparities in health outcomes and identifying barriers to implementing the recommendations.
Additionally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention must provide grants to states, tribes and providers of tribal health services, territories, and localities for increasing patient uptake of recommended preventive services.

To provide for a national public health education campaign, grant 
program, and task force for recommended preventive health care services 
           during the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.

    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 ``Preventive Care Awareness Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. PUBLIC HEALTH CAMPAIGN.

    The Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this 
section as the ``Secretary''), in collaboration with the Director of 
the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Surgeon General, 
and the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 
shall undertake a coordinated, focused national public health education 
effort to enhance access by individuals and providers to accurate, 
evidence-based health information about preventive health care, with 
particular consideration for decreasing disparities in utilization of 
recommended preventive health care services by reaching rural and 
underserved communities who have delayed or forgone receiving 
recommended clinical preventive health care services during the COVID-
19 pandemic.

SEC. 3. COVID-19 PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE GRANT PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--For the purpose of increasing patient uptake of 
recommended clinical preventive health care services during the COVID-
19 pandemic, the Secretary, acting through the Director of the Centers 
for Disease Control and Prevention, shall award grants on a 
noncompetitive basis to States, localities, territories, Indian Tribes, 
Tribal organizations, urban Indian health organizations, and health 
service providers to Indian Tribes, with particular consideration for 
decreasing disparities in utilization of such preventive health care 
services by reaching individuals in geographically diverse rural and 
underserved communities who have delayed or forgone receiving 
recommended clinical preventive health care services during the COVID-
19 pandemic.
    (b) Guidance.--The Secretary shall issue grant guidance on the 
administration of the grant program under paragraph (1), including with 
respect to permitted uses of funds and eligibility requirements.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $50,000,000 for the period of 
fiscal years 2022 and 2023.

SEC. 4. TASK FORCE ON PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE DURING PUBLIC HEALTH 
              EMERGENCIES.

    (a) Task Force on Preventive Health Care in Response to the COVID-
19 Public Health Emergency.--
            (1) Establishment.--The Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services (referred to in this section as the ``Secretary''), in 
        collaboration with the Director of the Centers for Disease 
        Control and Prevention and the Administrator of the Health 
        Resources and Services Administration, shall convene a task 
        force to develop Federal recommendations regarding preventive 
        health care during the COVID-19 pandemic and future pandemics.
            (2) Duties.--The task force established under paragraph (1) 
        shall develop, publicly post, and update Federal 
        recommendations in multiple languages to promote preventive 
        health care visits and improve health outcomes during and after 
        the COVID-19 pandemic and during future pandemics, with 
        particular consideration for outcomes of rural or underserved 
        communities. Such recommendations shall--
                    (A) address, with particular attention to ensuring 
                equitable services, reducing disparities in health 
                outcomes, and promoting culturally and linguistically 
                appropriate care--
                            (i) measures to facilitate preventive 
                        health care;
                            (ii) strategies to increase access to care 
                        for individuals at high risk or with elevated 
                        risk factors;
                            (iii) how to identify, address, and treat 
                        mental and behavioral health conditions, such 
                        as anxiety, substance use disorder, and 
                        depression, which may have arisen or increased 
                        during the COVID-19 pandemic;
                            (iv) strategies to address provision of 
                        preventative health care services given 
                        hospital capacity concerns in communities with 
                        a surge in COVID-19 cases and to provide 
                        individuals with options that reduce potential 
                        for cross-contamination, lessen disruption to 
                        providing common health services and preventive 
                        health care, and increase the ability to 
                        implement patient care preferences while 
                        maintaining safety and quality; and
                            (v) such other matters as the task force 
                        determines appropriate;
                    (B) identify barriers to the implementation of the 
                recommendations;
                    (C) take into consideration existing State programs 
                and other programs that have demonstrated effectiveness 
                in promoting preventive health care during the COVID-19 
                pandemic, for purposes of future public health 
                emergencies; and
                    (D) identify policies specific to COVID-19 that, as 
                a public health emergency abates, can be safely 
                discontinued when appropriate or necessary, as well as 
                policies that should be continued.
            (3) Membership.--The task force established under paragraph 
        (1) shall be comprised of the following:
                    (A) One representative of each of the following:
                            (i) The Secretary of Health and Human 
                        Services.
                            (ii) The Director of the Centers for 
                        Disease Control and Prevention.
                            (iii) The Administrator of the Health 
                        Resources and Services Administration.
                            (iv) The Administrator of the Substance 
                        Abuse and Mental Health Services 
                        Administration.
                            (v) The Administrator of the Centers for 
                        Medicare & Medicaid Services.
                            (vi) The Director of the Agency for 
                        Healthcare Research and Quality.
                            (vii) The Director of the Indian Health 
                        Service.
                            (viii) The Director of the Office of 
                        Minority Health.
                            (ix) The Director of the Office on Women's 
                        Health.
                            (x) The Assistant Secretary for 
                        Preparedness and Response.
                    (B) Such other members as the Secretary of Health 
                and Human Services determines appropriate.
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