Rapid Coverage for Coronavirus Vaccines Act
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.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3505 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3505
To require private health insurers to rapidly cover preventive services
and vaccines related to the coronavirus.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
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 ``Rapid Coverage for Coronavirus
Vaccines Act''.
SEC. 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).
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
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