Title: Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID–19 Pandemic Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Stronger Medicaid Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic Act
This bill allows COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019) vaccines and treatment, as well as treatment for conditions that may complicate COVID-19 treatment, for uninsured individuals to be covered under Medicaid during the public health emergency. (Currently, state Medicaid programs have the option to cover COVID-19 testing for uninsured individuals.)
The bill also specifically allows COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and treatment, as well as treatment for complicating conditions, for certain unlawful aliens to be covered under Medicaid during the public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6616 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6616

   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to 
provide coverage under the Medicaid program for vaccines and treatment 
 for COVID-19 for uninsured individuals without the imposition of cost 
             sharing requirements, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2020

  Mr. Cardenas (for himself and Ms. Sanchez) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to allow States to 
provide coverage under the Medicaid program for vaccines and treatment 
 for COVID-19 for uninsured individuals without the imposition of cost 
             sharing requirements, 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 ``Stronger Medicaid Response to the 
COVID-19 Pandemic Act''.

SEC. 2. OPTIONAL COVERAGE AT NO COST SHARING OF COVID-19 TREATMENT AND 
              VACCINES UNDER MEDICAID FOR UNINSURED INDIVIDUALS.

    (a) In General.--Section 1902(a)(10) of the Social Security Act (42 
U.S.C. 1396a(a)(10)) is amended, in the matter following subparagraph 
(G), by striking ``and any visit described in section 1916(a)(2)(G)'' 
and inserting the following: ``, any COVID-19 vaccine that is 
administered during any such portion (and the administration of such 
vaccine), any item or service that is furnished during any such portion 
for the treatment of COVID-19 or a condition that may complicate the 
treatment of COVID-19, and any services described in section 
1916(a)(2)(G)''.
    (b) Definition of Uninsured Individual.--
            (1) In general.--Subsection (ss) of section 1902 of the 
        Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396a) is amended to read as 
        follows:
    ``(ss) Uninsured Individual Defined.--For purposes of this section, 
the term `uninsured individual' means, notwithstanding any other 
provision of this title, any individual who is not covered by minimum 
essential coverage (as defined in section 5000A(f)(1) of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendment made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect and apply as if included in the enactment of 
        the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Public Law 116-
        127).
    (c) Clarification Regarding Emergency Services for Certain 
Individuals.--Section 1903(v)(2) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1396b(v)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following flush 
sentence:
        ``For purposes of subparagraph (A), care and services described 
        in such subparagraph include any in vitro diagnostic product 
        described in section 1905(a)(3)(B) that is administered during 
        any portion of the emergency period described in such section 
        beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this 
        sentence (and the administration of such product), any COVID-19 
        vaccine that is administered during any such portion (and the 
        administration of such vaccine), any item or service that is 
        furnished during any such portion for the treatment of COVID-19 
        or a condition that may complicate the treatment of COVID-19, 
        and any services described in section 1916(a)(2)(G).''.
    (d) Inclusion of COVID-19 Concern as an Emergency Condition.--
Section 1903(v)(3) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396b(v)(3)) 
is amended by adding at the end the following flush sentence:
        ``Such term includes any indication that an alien described in 
        paragraph (1) may have contracted COVID-19.''.
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