Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019

Bill: 116-s-1659
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2019-05-23
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Child health

Health care coverage and access

Health facilities and institutions

Health personnel

Medical education

Mental health

Student aid and college costs
Latest action: action_date: 2019-05-23
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S3112-3113)

Summaries:
action_date: 2019-05-23
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Ensuring Children's Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019</b></p> <p>This bill expands the scope of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) to include pediatric subspecialists, including psychiatrists. Currently, the NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers who agree to work in areas that face a shortage of these types of providers.</p> <p>In addition, the bill provides that an underserved population of children and adolescents may be designated as a health professional shortage area. (This designation confers eligibility for, and priority preferences with respect to, NHSC placements, grants, and other activities to address shortages of health care professionals.)</p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 1659 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 23 (legislative day, May 22), 2019 Mr. Blunt (for himself and Mr. Reed ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for the participation of pediatric subspecialists in the National Health Service Corps program, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Ensuring Children’s Access to Specialty Care Act of 2019 . 2. Participation of pediatric subspecialties in National Health Service Corps (a) Primary health services definition Section 331(a)(3)(D) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(D) ) is amended by inserting (and pediatric subspecialties and special qualifications in pediatrics) after pediatrics . (b) Behavioral and mental health professionals definition Section 331(a)(3)(E)(i) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254d(a)(3)(E)(i) ) is amended by inserting (including pediatric subspecialists thereof) after psychiatrists . (c) Health professional shortage areas Section 332(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254e(a) ) is amended— (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by inserting (including such a population group of children and adolescents) after shortage ; and (2) in paragraph (2)(A), by inserting pediatric subspecialty medical residency or fellowship training site, after health department, . (d) Loan repayment program Subparagraph (B) of section 338B(b)(1) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 254l–1(b)(1) ) is amended by inserting (including a pediatric subspecialty residency or fellowship training program) before the semicolon.