Rapid Coverage for Coronavirus Vaccines Act

Bill: 116-s-3505
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Jones, Doug [D-AL]
Introduced: 2020-03-17
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Cardiovascular and respiratory health

Emergency medical services and trauma care

Employee benefits and pensions

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Health promotion and preventive care

Immunology and vaccination

Infectious and parasitic diseases
Latest action: action_date: 2020-03-17
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-03-17
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><b>Rapid Coverage for Coronavirus Vaccines Act</b></p> <p>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 or diagnose COVID-19 within 15 days.</p> </p>

tv_txt: II 116th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 3505 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 17, 2020 Mr. Jones (for himself, Mr. Cassidy , Ms. Smith , and Mr. Daines ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions A BILL To require private health insurers to rapidly cover preventive services and vaccines related to the coronavirus.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rapid Coverage for Coronavirus Vaccines Act . 2. Rapid coverage of preventive services and vaccines for coronavirus (a) In general Notwithstanding 2713(b) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–13 ), the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the Treasury shall require group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group or individual health insurance to cover any qualifying coronavirus preventive service, pursuant to section 2713(a) of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–13(a) ). The requirement described in this subsection shall take effective with respect to a qualifying coronavirus prevention service on the specified date described in subsection (b)(2). (b) Definitions For purposes of this section: (1) Qualifying coronavirus preventive service The term qualifying coronavirus preventive service means an item, service, or immunization that is intended to prevent or mitigate co­ro­na­vi­rus disease 2019 and that is— (A) an evidence-based item or service that has in effect a rating of A or B in the current recommendations of the United States Preventive Services Task Force; or (B) an immunization that has in effect a recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with respect to the individual involved. (2) Specified date The term specified date means— (A) with respect to a qualifying co­ro­na­vi­rus preventive service described in paragraph (1)(A), the date that is 15 business days after the date on which a rating with respect to such item or service is received as described in such paragraph; or (B) with respect to a qualifying co­ro­na­vi­rus preventive service described in paragraph (1)(B), the date that is 15 business days after the date on which a recommendation is made relating to the immunization as described in such paragraph. (3) Health insurance terms In this section, the terms group health plan , health insurance issuer , group health insurance coverage , and individual health insurance coverage have the meanings given such terms in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–91 ).