,i #aahth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,r4 #aaad ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #ba1 #bjbc,ms4 ,blunt ,rochester 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,beyer1 and ,ms4 ,pressley7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to provide for optimized care1 a coordinated ,federal ,government response1 public education1 and insurance reimbursement guidance for ,long ,,covid1 and for other purposes4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents 7a7 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the,long ,,covid ,response is ,care ,optimized and ,vitally ,essential ,resources that ,yield ,new ,opportunities for ,wellness ,act or the ,long ,,covid ,,recovery ,,now ,act4 7b7 ,table of contents ,the table of contents for this ,act is as follows3 ,sec4 #a4 ,short title2 table of contents4,sec4 #b4 ,targeting resources for equitable access to treatment of ,long ,,covid4,sec4 #c4 ,national ,long ,,covid technical assistance dissemination program4,sec4 #d4 ,mental health and suicide prevention and treatment4,sec4 #e4 ,,onc best practices for ,long ,,covid data4,sec4 #f4 ,long ,,covid ,education ,website4,sec4 #g4 ,providing ,support for ,long ,,covid ,registries4,sec4 #h4 ,medicaid ,health ,homes for ,individuals with ,long ,,covid4,sec4 #i4 ,state health officials guidance4,sec4 #aj4 ,support under ,medicaid for ,state ,collection of ,long ,,covid ,data4,sec4 #aa4 ,grants for ,pediatric ,research on ,long ,,covid4 #b4 ,targeting resources for equitable access to treatment of ,long ,,covid 7a7 ,establishment 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall award1 subject to subsection 7f7 and in accordance with the provisions of this section1 grants described in the following subsections to carry out the purposes described in such subsections4 7#b7 ,eligibility ,the ,secretary may establish a process for evaluating and determining the eligibility of ,federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics for receiving a grant under this section4 7b7 ,grants to ,f,q,h,cs and ,r,h,cs ,for purposes of subsection 7a71 the grants described in this subsection are grants to ,federally qualified health centers 7as defined in section #ahfa7;aa77#d7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7aa77#d77 and rural health clinics 7as defined in section #ahfa7;aa77#b7 of such ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7aa77#b77 to-- 7#a7 adopt evidence-based ,long ,,covid clinical practices that have been demonstrated to improve the wellness of individuals with ,long ,,covid1 including clinical validation of patient reported symptoms using established measures that yield structured1 comparable data2 7#b7 establish or expand screening1 referral1 and navigation processes for health-related social needs that could interfere with ,long ,,covid treatment1 including food insecurity1 housing instability1 transportation needs1 utility difficulties1 and interpersonal safety2 and 7#c7 submit to the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in a format consistent with the standards and activities under the ,data ,modernization ,initiative of the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention7 standardized1 disaggregated1 deidentified data 7as specified by the ,secretary7 on the characteristics1 diagnoses1 and health care service utilization of ,long ,,covid patients served under such grant1 including disaggregated data on ,long ,,covid patient characteristics1 including patient age1 gender1 race1 ethnicity1 language spoken1 disability status1 nature and duration of validated symptoms1 and other characteristics necessary to inform considerations for effective and equitable treatment for patients with ,long ,,covid4 7c7 ,grants to primary care practices ,for purposes of subsection 7a71 the grants described in this subsection are grants to primary care practices 7other than ,federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics7 that satisfy such criteria as may be established by the ,secretary to carry out the purposes described in paragraphs 7#a7 and 7#c7 of subsection 7b74 7d7 ,,grants ,for ,multidisciplinary ,treatment and ,coordination 7#a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services 7in this section referred to as the ,secretary7 shall award grants on a competitive basis to eligible entities for the purpose of creating or enhancing capacity to treat patients with ,long ,,covid through a multidisciplinary approach4 ,the term multidisciplinary in this section refers to the coordinated work to provide care or treatment to a patient by physicians and other professionals1 such as specialty or subspecialty providers1 nurses and nurse care coordinators1 dietitians1 nutritionists1 social workers1 behavioral health professionals1 physical and occupational therapists1 speech pathologists1 or any professionals determined to be appropriate by the ,state and approved by the ,administrator of the ,centers for ,medicare ,medicaid ,services4 7#b7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity receiving a grant under this section shall use the grant1 for the purpose described in subsection 7a71 to-- 7,a7 enhance the capacity of one or more existing multidisciplinary ,long ,,covid clinics to serve the ,long ,,covid population2 or 7,b7 create one or more multidisciplinary clinics to address the physical and mental health needs of ,long ,,covid patients4 7#c7 ,eligible entities ,to be eligible to receive a grant under this section1 an entity shall be a health care provider1 ,federally qualified health center 7as defined in section #ahfa7;aa7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aciex7aa7771 rural health clinic1 urban ,indian health center1 or ,state or local public health department1 that-- 7,a7 7i7 operates an existing multidisciplinary ,long ,,covid clinic or other specialized ,long ,,covid program2 or 7ii7 is an existing health care provider with experience providing care for individuals with ,long ,,covid and who demonstrates an intent to create a multidisciplinary ,long ,,covid clinic or other specialized ,long ,,covid program2 7,b7 submits to the ,secretary an application at such time1 in such manner1 and containing such information and assurances as the ,secretary may require2 and 7,c7 employs a framework that incentivizes participants to attain the program's goals to establish and disseminate best practices1 and allocates funds based on such attainment4 7#d7 ,special rule ,a physical clinical facility is not a requirement for eligibility4 7#e7 ,priority ,in awarding grants under this subsection1 the ,secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that-- 7,a7 submit a plan to engage with medically underserved communities1 and with populations disproportionately impacted by ,,covid-#ai2 7,b7 demonstrate capacity 7or an intent to build capacity7 to provide personalized treatment and facilitate patient access to multidisciplinary health care providers with expertise in treating ,long ,,covid symptoms1 including such providers who are primary and specialty care physicians 7such as physiatrists1 neurologists1 cardiologists1 immunologists1 and pulmonologists71 therapists1 nurses1 care coordinators1 social workers1 nutritionists1 and behavioral health specialists2 and 7,c7 submit a plan to ensure ongoing multidisciplinary continuing education on infection-triggered conditions for-- 7i7 physicians treating ,long ,,covid2 and 7ii7 other physicians and health care workers who are not treating ,long ,,covid1 but are otherwise serving patients in the community4 7e7 ,equitable access ,in order to ensure equitable access treatment-- 7#a7 no grantee under this section shall deny access to treatment with respect to ,long ,,covid based on insurance coverage1 date of diagnosis1 or previous hospitalization2 7#b7 a grantee under this section shall with respect to ,long ,,covid-- 7,a7 offer equity-centered resources 7such as the ability to offer resources in various languages71 information1 and training to safety net health systems2 and 7,b7 disseminate to individuals and organizations that provide care best practices and treatment approaches that enhance access to high-quality care to everyone where they live2 and 7#c7 treatment for ,long ,,covid shall be included as a ,,covid-#ai treatment1 consistent with the ,american ,rescue ,plan ,act of #bjba 7,public ,law #aag-b74 7f7 ,development of ,evidence-,based ,strategies for ,high-,value ,care for ,individuals with ,long ,,covid 7#a7 ,in general ,not later than #a year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,agency for ,healthcare ,research and ,quality shall1 subject to appropriations pursuant to subsection 7i71 award multi-year grants to eligible entities meeting such criteria as specified by the ,secretary through rulemaking for the purposes of-- 7,a7 supporting the generation of evidence about how to deliver high quality1 high-value health care for individuals with ,long ,,covid for the treatment of the condition2 7,b7 creating tools and strategies to help health systems and hospitals1 primary and specialty physicians1 nurses1 allied health care professionals1 and caregivers provide high-quality1 high-value care for individuals with ,long ,,covid2 and 7,c7 providing educational materials for health care providers1 payers1 and consumers on high-value care for individuals with ,long ,,covid4 7#b7 ,eligibility ,the ,secretary shall1 through rulemaking1 specify a process for evaluating and determining the eligibility of primary care providers including ,federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics2 specialty care providers1 hospitals1 health systems1 academic medical centers2 and other entities for receiving a grant under this subsection4 ,such rules shall prohibit grant funds from being used to compensate or reimburse individuals or organizations excluded pursuant to section #aabh of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acbj;a-#g7 from participation under the ,medicare program under title ,,xviii of such ,act4 7g7 ,long ,,covid defined ,for purposes of this ,act1 the term ,long ,,covid 7also referred to as post-acute sequelae of ,,covid-#ai1 post-,,covid conditions1 or persistent symptoms post-,,covid7 means the ongoing sequelae of ,,covid-#ai that some individuals experience after infection with the ,,sars-,co,v-#b virus1 as diagnosed by a qualified health care provider4 ,such sequelae are defined as the 8,post-,,covid ,conditions0 identified and defined by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention in #bjba1 or in subsequent revisions by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention4 7h7 ,reports 7#a7 ,annual reports by grantees to ,secretary ,on an annual basis1 a recipient of a grant under this section shall-- 7,a7 submit to the ,secretary1 and make publicly available1 a report on the activities carried out through the grant2 and 7,b7 include evaluations of such activities1 including the experience of individuals who received health care through such grant4 7#b7 ,annual reports by ,secretary to ,congress ,not later than the end of each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbf1 the ,secretary shall submit to the ,congress1 and make publicly available1 a report that-- 7,a7 summarizes the reports received under paragraph 7#a72 7,b7 evaluates the effectiveness of grants under this section2 and 7,c7 makes recommendations with respect to expanding coverage for clinical care for ,long ,,covid4 7i7 ,authorization of appropriations 7#a7 ,in general ,to carry out this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbf4 7#b7 ,administrative expenses ,not more than #ae percent of the amounts made available to carry out this section for any fiscal year may be used for administrative expenses to operate the grants under this section4 #c4 ,national ,long ,,covid technical assistance dissemination program 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall-- 7#a7 establish a structured process to seek ongoing input from medical societies representing primary care1 specialty care1 and subspecialty care regarding the proven and promising practices for treating individuals who are diagnosed with ,long ,,covid to support their wellness and recovery2 and 7#b7 enter into a memorandum of understanding with one or more organizations with specific medical knowledge on ,long ,,covid or experience providing care and medical treatment to individuals with ,long ,,covid to support the ongoing dissemination to the broader medical community of existing open source evidence1 tools and strategies4 7b7 ,organization described ,for purposes of subsection 7a71 and organization described in this paragraph is an organization that satisfies at least the following3 7#a7 ,the organization has clinical expertise related to the treatment of ,long ,,covid4 7#b7 ,the organization has a robust understanding of clinical and business practices4 7#c7 ,the organization has the ability to convene groups and disseminate information nationally4 7#d7 ,the organization consults with medical specialty associations for purposes of developing and distributing clinical best practices for ,long ,,covid diagnosis and treatment4 #d4 ,mental health and suicide prevention and treatment ,section #aiaa7;b77#a7 of the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjjx7b77#a77 is amended by inserting and1 for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbf1 individuals with ,long ,,covid 7as defined in section #b of the ,long ,,covid ,,recovery ,,now ,act7 who have also been diagnosed with a mental health condition 7such as a serious mental illness or a serious emotional disturbance7 after #aiab7;c74 #e4 ,,onc best practices for ,long ,,covid data 7a7 ,in general ,not later than #f months after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,national ,coordinator for ,health ,information ,technology1 shall convene health care stakeholders to identify potential best practices for collecting1 aggregating1 and disseminating to health care researchers deidentified data that promotes learning about ,long ,,covid and supports the further research of the characteristics of individuals diagnosed with ,long ,,covid4 7b7 ,report ,not later than #afj days after the first meeting of such stakeholders pursuant to subsection 7a71 the ,secretary shall submit to ,congress 7and make publicly available on the website of the ,office of the ,national ,coordinator of ,health ,information ,technology7 a report summarizing the meetings and findings of the stakeholders as well as any recommendations1 including recommendations on ways that federal health care policy can better support an understanding of the etiology1 characteristics1 care and potential treatments for individuals ,long ,,covid to support individuals' recovery and wellness4 ,such recommendations shall-- 7#a7 take into account the perspectives of health data scientists1 health services researchers1 medical providers1 health plans1 hospitals and health systems1 epidemiologists1 public health experts1 patient representatives and groups1 health information technology companies1 and other stakeholders2 and 7#b7 be informed by public and private sector efforts to characterize ,long ,,covid1 aggregate and disaggregate data1 and promote data standardization1 data standards1 or open data access for furthering a greater understanding of ,long ,,covid4 #f4 ,long ,,covid ,education ,website ,not later than #f months after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall1 in consultation with medical societies representing the perspectives of primary care1 specialty care1 mental health professionals1 medical researchers 7including through the ,national ,institutes of ,health71 public health experts 7including the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention71 and patient advocates1 implement a ,federal website 7which may be implemented through an existing public website of the ,department of ,health and ,human ,services7 that-- 7#a7 collects1 and curates educational materials for health care providers and consumers about ,long ,,covid 7as defined in section #b7;e77 symptoms1 diagnosis1 characteristics1 treatment1 and access to care2 and 7#b7 includes1 or provides a link to1 comprehensive educational resources for health care providers1 such as the interim guidance 7and subsequent updates7 for health care providers published by the ,centers for ,disease ,control and ,prevention on how to treat individuals with ,long ,,covid4 #g4 ,providing ,support for ,long ,,covid ,registries 7a7 ,in general ,not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,director of the ,agency for ,healthcare ,research and ,quality shall1 subject to appropriations pursuant to subsection 7d71 award multi-year grants to eligible entities described in subsection 7b7 for the purposes of-- 7#a7 supporting existing or creating new ,longitudinal registries of patients with ,long ,,covid 7as defined in section #b7;g772 7#b7 establishing voluntary standards for such registries that include common data elements and clear data definitions to enable the comparability and synchronization of data by researchers2 7#c7 utilize data from such registries to help inform understanding regarding the efficacy of care1 diagnostics1 therapeutics1 care pathways1 behavioral health interventions1 and other dynamics regarding individuals with ,long ,,covid2 and 7#d7 informing health care providers' efforts related to improving equitable access to health care by collecting data through such registries from individuals with ,long ,,covid1 including social needs1 medical history1 race and ethnicity1 language1 gender1 and disability status1 as specified by the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services4 7b7 ,eligible entities 7#a7 ,in general ,to be eligible for a grant under subsection 7a7 an entity shall-- 7,a7 submit an application to the ,secretary in such form and manner as the ,secretary may require2 7,b7 agree to adhere to such data definitions and standards as the ,secretary may require1 including privacy and security requirements1 requirements to make findings of the organization1 and the use of open-source technology to promote the dissemination of information related to ,long ,,covid2 7,c7 agree to make any information collected or produced by the entity pursuant to the grant available to the public through secure1 non-proprietary means without a paywall or fee2 7,d7 demonstrate to the ,secretary1 in a form and manner specified by the ,secretary1 that the entity has in place appropriate standards for handling proprietary1 confidential1 and medical information securely and in a manner that is compliant with applicable law2 7,e7 have in place and demonstrate to the ,secretary the adequacy of a plan for the ,longer-term financial sustainability of such registry2 and 7,f7 be an organization described in paragraph 7#b74 7#b7 ,organizations ,for purposes of paragraph 7#a71 an organization described in this paragraph is any of the following3 7,a7 ,a non-profit organization representative of individuals with ,long ,,covid4 7,b7 ,an organization of health care providers1 such as health systems and hospitals4 7,c7 ,an organization of data scientists4 7,d7 ,multi-sector groups that consist of organizations described in #b or more of the preceding subparagraphs that meet such standards as the ,secretary may require4 7c7 ,consideration ,in carrying out the purposes described in subsection 7a71 an eligible entity shall take into consideration the report made available under section #d7;b74 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,there is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section #aj1jjj1jjj for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbh4 #h4 ,medicaid ,health ,homes for ,individuals with ,long ,,covid 7a7 ,health homes for individuals with chronic conditions ,section #aide7;h77#a77;,a77ii7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifw-#d7;h77#a77;,a77ii77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subclause 7,,ii71 by striking at the end or2 7#b7 in subclause 7,,iii71 by striking at the end the period and inserting 2 or2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subclause3 7,,iv7 ,long ,,covid 7as defined in section #b7;g7 of the ,long ,,covid ,,recovery ,,now ,act74 4 7b7 ,health homes for children with medically complex conditions ,section #aide;,a7i77#a77;,a77ii7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acifw-#d;a7i77#a77;,a77ii77 is amended-- 7#a7 in subclause 7,i71 by striking at the end or2 7#b7 in subclause 7,,ii71 by striking at the end the period and inserting 2 or2 and 7#c7 by adding at the end the following new subclause3 7,,iii7 ,long ,,covid 7as defined in section #b7;g7 of the ,long ,,covid ,,recovery ,,now ,act74 4 #i4 ,state health officials guidance ,not later than #ah months after the date of the enactment of this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services shall issue guidance to ,state health officials specifying tools and strategies that may help ,states improve the health and wellness of individuals enrolled under the ,medicaid program under title ,,xix of the ,social ,security ,act or the ,children's ,health ,insurance ,program under title ,,xxi of such ,act who have been diagnosed with ,long ,,covid by facilitating strong primary care and supporting linkages to specialists1 relevant social supports1 or community-based organizations at the local level1 that can help support the recovery and wellness of such individuals4 #aj4 ,support under ,medicaid for ,state ,collection of ,long ,,covid ,data ,section #aijc7;a77#c7 of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acif;b7a77#c77 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph3 7,i7 #ge percent of the sums expended during a fiscal year quarter in #bjbd1 #bjbe1 or #bjbf as are attributable to the collection and reporting of claims and encounter data on ,long ,,covid 7including identification of race1 language1 ethnicity1 and duration of treatment7 using the ,,icd-#aj code ,u#ji4i post ,,covid-#ai condition1 unspecified 7or any successor to such code72 4 #aa4 ,grants for ,pediatric ,research on ,long ,,covid 7a7 ,in general ,the ,secretary of ,health and ,human ,services1 acting through the ,director of the ,national ,institutes of ,health 7in this section1 referred to as the ,secretary71 shall award grants to eligible entities to conduct research on ,long ,,covid in pediatric populations4 7b7 ,use of funds ,an eligible entity selected to receive a grant under this subsection may use funds received through the grant to conduct research described in subsection 7a71 with a focus on pediatric immune system responses and neurodevelopment4 7c7 ,eligible entity defined ,in this section1 the term eligible entity means a children's hospital1 pediatric researcher1 pediatrician1 academic medical center1 or other organization determined appropriate by the ,secretary4 7d7 ,authorization of appropriations ,to carry out this section1 there are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years #bjbd through #bjbf4