,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dceh  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #bi1     
#bjbj,mr4 ,bennet 7for himself1 ,mrs4   
,shaheen1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,ms4 ,harris1   
and ,mr4 ,blumenthal7 introduced the    
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title ,,xix of the 
,social ,security ,act to allow ,states 
to provide coverage under the ,medicaid 
program for vaccines and treatment for  
,,covid-#ai for uninsured individuals   
without the imposition of cost sharing  
requirements1 and for other purposes4   
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,stronger ,medicaid ,response to
 the ,,covid-#ai ,pandemic ,act4  #b4   
,optional coverage at no cost sharing of
 ,,covid-#ai treatment and vaccines     
under ,medicaid for uninsured           
individuals  7a7 ,in general ,section   
#aijb7;a77#aj7 of the ,social ,security 
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif;a7a77#aj77 is 
amended1 in the matter following        

subparagraph 7,g71 by striking and any  
visit described in section              
#aiaf7;a77#b77;,g7 and inserting the    
following3 1 any ,,covid-#ai vaccine    
that is administered during any such    
portion 7and the administration of such 
vaccine71 any item or service that is   
furnished during any such portion for   
the treatment of ,,covid-#ai1 including 
drugs approved or authorized under      
section #eje or #efd of the ,federal    
,food1 ,drug1 and ,cosmetic ,act1 or1 in
 the case of an individual who is       
diagnosed with or presumed to have      
,,covid-#ai1 during the period such     
individual is infected 7or presumed     
infected7 with ,,covid-#ai1 the         
treatment of a condition that may       
complicate the treatment of ,,covid-#ai1
 the treatment of a ,,covid-#ai-related 
condition that follows the treatment of1
 or hospitalization with1 ,,covid-#ai1  
and any services described in section   
#aiaf7;a77#b77;,g74  7b7 ,definition of 
uninsured individual  7#a7 ,in general  

,subsection 7ss7 of section #aijb of the
 ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4  
#acif;a7 is amended to read as follows3 
7ss7 ,uninsured individual defined ,for 
purposes of this section1 the term      
uninsured individual means1             
notwithstanding any other provision of  
this title1 any individual who is not   
covered by minimum essential coverage   
7as defined in section #ejjj;,a7f77#a7  
of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of      
#aihf74  4  7#b7 ,effective date ,the   
amendment made by paragraph 7#a7 shall  
take effect and apply as if included in 
the enactment of the ,families ,first   
,coronavirus ,response ,act 7,public    
,law #aaf-abg74  7c7 ,clarification     
regarding emergency services for certain
 individuals ,for purposes of applying  
section #aijc7v77#b77;,a7 of the ,social
 ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4          
#acif;b7v77#b77;,a771 the care and      
services described in such section shall
 include the following3 7#a7 ,in vitro  
diagnostic products 7as defined in      

section #hji4c7;a7 of title #ba1 ,code  
of ,federal ,regulations71 and the      
administration of such products4  7#b7  
,a ,,covid-#ai vaccine 7and the         
administration of such vaccine74  7#c7  
,any item or service that is furnished  
for the treatment of ,,covid-#ai or a   
condition that may complicate the       
treatment of ,,covid-#ai1 the treatment 
of a ,,covid-#ai-related condition that 
follows the treatment of1 or            
hospitalization with1 ,,covid-#ai1 and  
any services described in section       
#aiaf7;a77#b77;,g7 of such ,act 7#db    
,u4,s4,c4 #acifo7a77#b77;,g774  7d7     
,emergency ,medicaid for individuals    
with suspected ,,covid-#ai infections   
,for purposes of applying section       
#aijc7v77#c7 of the ,social ,security   
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif;b7v77#c771 the
 term emergency medical condition 7as   
defined in such section #aijc7v77#c77   
shall include1 with respect to an       
individual1 any concern that the        
individual may have contracted          

,,covid-#ai4  7e7 ,treatment of         
assistance and services provided        
,beginning on the date of enactment of  
this ,act-- 7#a7 the value of assistance
 or services provided to any person     
under a program with respect to which a 
coronavirus response law establishes or 
expands eligibility or benefits shall   
not be considered income or resources2  
and  7#b7 7,a7 any medical coverage or  
services provided to an individual under
 subsection 7v7 of section #aijc of the 
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acif;b7 shall be considered treatment  
for an emergency medical condition 7as  
defined in subsection 7v77#c7 of such   
section7 for any purpose under any      
,federal1 ,state1 or local law1         
including law relating to taxation1     
welfare1 and public assistance programs2
 and  7,b7 a participating ,state or    
political subdivision of a ,state shall 
not decrease any assistance otherwise   
provided to an individual because of the
 receipt of benefits under the ,social  

,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cja et   
seq474  7f7 ,other definitions ,in this 
section3 7#a7 ,coronavirus public health
 emergency ,the term coronavirus public 
health emergency means-- 7,a7 an        
emergency involving ,federal primary    
responsibility determined to exist by   
the ,president under section #eja7;b7 of
 the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford ,disaster    
,relief and ,emergency ,assistance ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaia7;b77 with respect  
to ,,covid-#ai or any other coronavirus 
with pandemic potential2  7,b7 an       
emergency declared by a ,federal        
official with respect to coronavirus 7as
 defined in section #ejf of the         
,coronavirus ,preparedness and ,response
 ,supplemental ,appropriations ,act1    
#bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-abc772  7,c7 a 
national emergency declared by the      
,president under the ,national          
,emergencies ,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja  
et seq47 with respect to ,,covid-#ai or 
any other coronavirus with pandemic     
potential2 and  7,d7 a public health    

emergency declared by the ,secretary of 
,health and ,human ,services pursuant to
 section #cai of the ,public ,health    
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #bdg7;d77  
with respect to ,,covid-#ai or any other
 coronavirus with pandemic potential4   
7#b7 ,coronavirus response law ,the term
 coronavirus response law means-- 7,a7  
the ,coronavirus ,preparedness and      
,response ,supplemental ,appropriations 
,act1 #bjbj 7,public ,law #aaf-abc72    
7,b7 the ,families ,first ,coronavirus  
,response ,act 7,public ,law #aaf-abg72 
7,c7 the ,coronavirus ,aid1 ,relief1 and
 ,economic ,security ,act 7,public ,law 
#aaf-acf72 and  7,d7 any subsequent law 
that appropriates or otherwise makes    
available funds1 establishes1 amends1 or
 expands a program1 or authorizes       
activities or assistance for a purpose  
that is expressly related to responding 
to1 or mitigating the effects of1 a     
coronavirus public health emergency4    
7g7 ,rule of construction ,nothing in   
this section shall be construed to      

limit-- 7#a7 the types of care and      
services that are necessary for the     
treatment of an emergency condition for 
purposes of section #aijc7v7 of the     
,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#acif;b7v772 or  7#b7 the types of      
medical conditions that are emergency   
medical conditions for purposes of such 
section4