# Plain Language Summary: COVID-19 Vaccination and Federal Health Benefits

This bill would prevent the federal government and states from requiring people to get a COVID-19 vaccine in order to qualify for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP (the Children's Health Insurance Program). Right now, these three programs provide health insurance to seniors, low-income individuals, children, and people with disabilities. The bill says that no one can be denied these benefits or kicked off these programs because they refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

The practical effect is that vaccination status would become completely irrelevant to eligibility for these major health insurance programs. Someone could apply for or continue receiving Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP without ever providing proof of vaccination, and the government couldn't use vaccination status as a reason to deny them coverage. This applies to both the federal government's rules and any rules that individual states might try to create—states would be prohibited from adding vaccination requirements on their own.

It's worth noting that this bill is specifically about these three federal health programs and doesn't affect other vaccine requirements that might exist elsewhere, like those for healthcare workers in hospitals or requirements to attend school. It's also focused only on COVID-19 vaccines, not other vaccines. The bill essentially locks in the principle that for these particular insurance programs, people cannot be required to be vaccinated as a condition of getting or keeping their coverage.

A bill to prohibit the Secretary of Health and Human Services, any officer or employee of the Department of Health and Human Services, and States from requiring COVID-19 vaccination as a condition of eligibility for benefits or assistance under the Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP programs.

Scott, Rick

 <p>This bill prohibits federal and state agencies from requiring individuals to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to receive Medicare, Medicaid, or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) benefits.</p>