# The HEADs UP Act: Making Healthcare More Accessible for People with Developmental Disabilities

This bill expands healthcare services specifically for people with developmental disabilities by treating them as an official priority group that deserves targeted medical attention and funding. Right now, community health centers receive federal money to serve certain underserved populations like homeless people and migrant workers, but people with developmental disabilities aren't formally included in that list. This bill adds them to that list, which means health centers can now apply for special grants to provide services tailored to their needs.

The practical impact is that health centers receiving these new grants must offer specialized services beyond basic medical care. This includes comprehensive dental care—something particularly important since people with developmental disabilities often struggle to find dentists willing or trained to work with them. The bill requires that any health center getting this funding provide specialized treatment as needed, whether that's extra time, modified equipment, or staff trained in working with people who have intellectual or developmental disabilities. The money is meant to expand services, not replace existing funding, so communities should see genuine additions to what's available.

The bill also makes it easier for areas with high populations of people with developmental disabilities to qualify as "health professional shortage areas," which opens the door to more federal resources and loan forgiveness programs for doctors and nurses who work there. Additionally, the bill requires the government to track and report how much federal funding goes toward serving people with developmental disabilities, creating accountability for whether this population is actually getting the support they need. Overall, this is designed to address a gap where people with developmental disabilities have historically had trouble accessing quality healthcare.

HEADs UP Act of 2023

Moulton, Seth

Healthcare Extension and Accessibility for Developmentally disabled and Underserved Population Act of 2023 or the HEADs UP Act of 2023 This bill authorizes the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to award grants to support health centers that provide services for individuals with developmental disabilities, including dental care. Grant recipients must provide specialized treatment to individuals with developmental disabilities as necessary. The bill also provides statutory authority for HHS to designate individuals with developmental disabilities as health-professional shortage population groups for the purposes of the National Health Service Corps (NHSC). The NHSC provides scholarships and student loan repayment awards to eligible providers who agree to work with designated populations or in areas that face shortages of primary care, dental care, and mental health care providers.