Title: Addressing COVID-19 Health Disparities Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Addressing COVID-19 Health Disparities Act
This bill requires the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to research the U.S. health care system's response to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019), including by identifying health care-related factors that contribute to racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 outcomes and strategies to mitigate those factors.
In addition, AHRQ must develop vaccine protocols and strategies in consultation with leaders from populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19 to ensure that such groups have timely access to vaccines.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8067 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 8067

 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
  the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to 
 conduct or support research related to the United States health care 
         system's response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            August 18, 2020

 Mr. Beyer (for himself, Ms. Sewell of Alabama, Ms. Roybal-Allard, and 
Mrs. Dingell) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                    Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To direct the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through 
  the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, to 
 conduct or support research related to the United States health care 
         system's response to COVID-19, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Addressing COVID-19 Health 
Disparities Act''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH ON UNITED STATES HEALTH CARE SYSTEM'S RESPONSE TO 
              COVID-19.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting 
through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, 
shall conduct or support research related to the United States health 
care system's response to COVID-19, including with respect to--
            (1) the expansion and efficacy of telehealth use, 
        including--
                    (A) identifying obstacles to access for veterans, 
                the elderly, and low-income communities;
                    (B) evaluating and identifying potential gaps or 
                other weaknesses that bear on racial and ethnic 
                disparities in COVID-19 infection rates, severity of 
                symptoms, and outcomes;
                    (C) gaps in compliance with health care privacy and 
                security rules; and
                    (D) evaluate whether access to, or treatment 
                associated with, telemedicine and care delivered in 
                different settings varied by racial and ethnic group; 
                and
            (2) conducting and support rapid turnaround research to--
                    (A) identify health care strategies that help 
                mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 
                infection rates, severity of symptoms, and outcomes;
                    (B) identify health care-related factors 
                contributing to such disparities racial and ethnic 
                disparities in COVID-19 infection rates, 
                hospitalizations, severity of disease, complications, 
                and outcomes;
                    (C) provide recommendations on ensuring equity in 
                access to other health care interventions, such as flu 
                and pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination, that may be 
                advanced to mitigate such disparities, going forward;
                    (D) identify deficiencies in the health care 
                system's supply chain; and
                    (E) shortfalls in the health care delivery 
                planning, coordination, and capacity, including health 
                care delivery to vulnerable communities.
    (b) Protocols on COVID-19 Disparities.--The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, acting through the Director of the Agency for 
Healthcare Research and Quality, shall coordinate cross-agency 
engagement with leaders from racial and ethnic minority groups and 
other populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19--
            (1) to develop protocols that ensure these groups have 
        timely access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines; and
            (2) to provide guidance on a COVID-19 vaccination strategy 
        that takes into account racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-
        19 infection rates, severity of symptoms, and health outcomes.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $121,000,000, to remain 
available until expended.
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