# Plain Language Summary: Care for COVID-19 Act of 2021

This bill requires all health insurance plans—whether through employers or purchased individually—to cover COVID-19 related medical care completely free of charge during the pandemic emergency period. That means no copays, no deductibles, and no coinsurance for any treatment related to COVID-19. This applies to anyone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19, as well as people who are suspected of having it but never get a confirmed diagnosis, as long as healthcare providers made reasonable efforts to test them.

The coverage is broad and includes everything medically necessary to treat or manage COVID-19, from doctor visits (both in-person and telehealth) to hospital stays, medications, and any other relevant services. The government instructed health officials to create a detailed list within one week of what counts as COVID-19 related care, and this list includes items and services that might not normally be covered under a particular insurance plan. The key point is that cost should never be a barrier to getting COVID-19 treatment during the emergency period.

To make sure insurance companies don't lose money by waiving these costs, the federal government agrees to reimburse them for the cost-sharing amounts they give up. Insurance companies must report how much they would have charged patients, and the government will pay them back for those amounts by May of the following year. If someone's insurance company refuses to provide free COVID-19 care as required, patients can sue the insurance company to get the coverage they're entitled to. The bill also gives the government flexibility to enforce these rules through guidance and instructions rather than requiring new formal regulations.

Care for COVID–19 Act of 2021

Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36]

Care for COVID-19 Act of 2021 This bill requires private health insurance plans to cover, without any cost-sharing requirement, medically necessary services for individuals who have been diagnosed with, or are presumed to have, COVID-19 (i.e., coronavirus disease 2019). The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Labor, and the Department of the Treasury must, not later than one week after this bill is enacted, jointly issue guidance specifying the applicable services. Further, HHS must reimburse insurance plans for the cost-sharing amount for such services that would otherwise have been required. The bill provides funding for this reimbursement.