Health Access Innovation Act of 2025
Officially: “Health Access Innovation Act of 2025” Read the full text
What it does
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1Short title
This section would let the Act be called the Health Access Innovation Act of 2025.
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1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Health Access Innovation Act of 2025 .
2Health Equity Innovation Grant Program
This section would add a new Health Equity Innovation Grant Program to the Public Health Service Act. It would let the Secretary of Health and Human Services award grants to eligible entities to expand access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care, encourage innovation, and address persistent health inequities and chronic disease challenges. Grant money could be used to pay for necessary medical services, health screenings, tests, and other preventive services; to expand access to care, including by expanding access to health care and public health services, expanding the diversity of types of health workers, expanding the availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and addressing other social determinants of health and barriers to receiving timely, quality care; to support community health navigators, community health workers (also called promotores de salud), peer support specialists, community health representatives, and other health care professionals, including those who work with faith- or community-based organizations as trusted messengers with lived experience to help people access and connect to care; to expand the grant recipient's own capacity; and to carry out other programs that address social determinants of health. To qualify for a grant, an organization would have to be a faith- or community-based organization that has shown it can address chronic health disparities and health conditions in communities disproportionately affected by them, and that is located in either a medically underserved community or a designated health professional shortage area (both conditions would be required). In deciding which eligible entities get grants, the Secretary would have to give priority to organizations that established or operated one or more health workforce or health care access programs during a public health emergency. The term community-based organization would carry the meaning already given to it in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. The section would authorize $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026, $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2027, $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2028, $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2029, and $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2030 to carry out the program, and it would cap the Secretary's use of that money for administrative costs at not more than 5 percent of the funds appropriated.
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2. Health Equity Innovation Grant Program Part P of title III of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 280g et seq. ) is amended by adding at the end the following: 399V–8. Health Equity Innovation Grant Program (a) In general The Secretary may award grants to eligible entities to expand access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care, encourage innovation, and address persistent health inequities and chronic disease challenges, including by— (1) paying the costs of necessary medical services, health screenings, tests, and other preventive services; (2) expanding access to care, such as by— (A) expanding access to health care and public health services; (B) expanding the diversity of types of health workers; (C) expanding the availability of culturally and linguistically appropriate services; and (D) addressing other social determinants of health and barriers to receiving timely and quality care; (3) supporting— (A) community health navigators; (B) community health workers (also known as promotores de salud ); (C) peer support specialists; (D) community health representatives; and (E) other health care professionals, including those who work with faith- or community-based organizations as trusted messengers with lived experiences to support access and connection to care; (4) expanding the capacity of the eligible entity; and (5) carrying out other programs that address social determinants of health. (b) Eligible entities To be eligible for a grant under this section, an entity shall be a faith- or community-based organization that— (1) has demonstrated an ability to address chronic health disparities and health conditions in communities disproportionately affected by such disparities and conditions; and (2) is located in a medically underserved community or a designated health professional shortage area. (c) Priority In awarding grants under this section, the Secretary shall give priority to eligible entities that established or operated one or more health workforce or health care access programs during a public health emergency. (d) Community-Based organization defined In this section, the term community-based organization has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965. (e) Authorization of appropriations (1) In general There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section— (A) $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2026; (B) $55,000,000 for fiscal year 2027; (C) $60,000,000 for fiscal year 2028; (D) $65,000,000 for fiscal year 2029; and (E) $70,000,000 for fiscal year 2030. (2) Administrative costs Of the funds appropriated to carry out this section, not more than 5 percent may be used by the Secretary for the administrative costs of carrying out this section. .
Where it is
In the Senate.