Title: Ensuring Affordable COVID-19 Preventive Care Act of 2020
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Ensuring Affordable COVID-19 Preventive Care Act of 2020
This bill shortens the time frame under which private health insurance plans must cover certain new preventative services related to COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). Under current law, health plans have one year to cover services recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force or the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Under this bill, health plans must cover such services to prevent, diagnose, and treat COVID-19 within 15 days.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6222 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6222

 To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
    coverage of items, services, and immunizations relating to the 
diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19 under group health plans and health 
 insurance coverage within 15 days of the issuance of a recommendation 
 from the United States Preventive Services Task Force or the Advisory 
                  Committee on Immunization Practices.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 12, 2020

 Ms. Schakowsky (for herself and Mr. Bucshon) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to provide for 
    coverage of items, services, and immunizations relating to the 
diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19 under group health plans and health 
 insurance coverage within 15 days of the issuance of a recommendation 
 from the United States Preventive Services Task Force or the Advisory 
                  Committee on Immunization Practices.

    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 ``Ensuring Affordable COVID-19 
Preventive Care Act of 2020''.

SEC. 2. PROVIDING FOR COVERAGE OF ITEMS, SERVICES, AND IMMUNIZATIONS 
              RELATING TO THE DIAGNOSIS OR TREATMENT OF COVID-19 UNDER 
              GROUP HEALTH PLANS AND HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE WITHIN 
              15 DAYS OF THE ISSUANCE OF A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE 
              UNITED STATES PREVENTIVE SERVICES TASK FORCE OR THE 
              ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IMMUNIZATION PRACTICES.

    Section 2713(b) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-
13(b)) is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``The Secretary'' and 
        inserting ``Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(3) Special rule for covid-19 items, services, and 
        immunizations.--In the case of an item or service that receives 
        a rating described in subsection (a)(1), or an immunization 
        that receives a recommendation described in subsection (a)(2), 
        that is intended to prevent, diagnose, or treat COVID-19, the 
        requirement described in subsection (a) shall apply to a group 
        health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or 
        individual health insurance coverage with respect to such item, 
        service, or immunization 15 days after the issuance of such 
        rating or recommendation (as applicable).''.
                                 <all>