Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act

Bill: 117-hr-8995
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Bera, Ami [D-CA-7]
Introduced: 2022-09-28
Policy area: Health
Latest action: action_date: 2022-09-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-09-28
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Department of Health and Human Services to establish a program to reimburse health care providers that furnish postexposure rabies treatments to uninsured individuals.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8995 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES September 28, 2022 Mr. Bera introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to reimburse health care providers for furnishing rabies postexposure prophylaxis to uninsured individuals.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Affordable Rabies Treatment for Uninsured Act . 2. Requiring the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish a program to reimburse health care providers for furnishing rabies postexposure prophylaxis to uninsured individuals (a) In general The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall establish a program under which— (1) program-registered providers submit claims to the Secretary with respect to the furnishing of medically necessary rabies postexposure prohylaxis to uninsured individuals; and (2) the Secretary, subject to the availability of appropriations, pays each such provider for such prohylaxis in an amount determined appropriate by the Secretary. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) Program-registered provider The term program-registered provider means a health care provider that— (A) is licensed or otherwise authorized to furnish rabies postexposure prohylaxis in the State in which such provider furnishes such prophylaxis under the program established under this section; and (B) enters into an agreement with the Secretary under which the provider agrees— (i) not to hold an uninsured individual liable for the cost of rabies postexposure prophylaxis with respect to which a payment is made under subsection (a)(2); and (ii) to limit any charge to such individual for the administration of such prophylaxis with respect to which such a payment is so made to an amount specified by the Secretary. (2) Rabies postexposure prohylaxis The term rabies postexposure prophylaxis means human rabies immune globulin and rabies vaccine doses, or any other treatment specified by the Secretary, furnished in accordance with guidelines specified by the Secretary to an individual who has been potentially exposed to the rabies virus to prevent the occurrence of rabies. (3) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. (4) Uninsured individual The term uninsured individual means, with respect to an individual furnished rabies postexposure prohylaxis, an individual who— (A) is not enrolled in— (i) a Federal health care program (as defined in section 1128B(f) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320a–7b(f))); (ii) a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer in the group or individual market (as such terms are defined in section 2791 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–91 )); or (iii) a health plan offered under chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code; or (B) is enrolled in a program, plan, or coverage described in subparagraph (A) that does not provide any benefits for such prophylaxis under such program, plan, or coverage (as applicable).