Friday, March 6, 2020

Source Documentation: $8B Coronavirus Budget Documentation Here

Numerous headlines have flagged that House and Senate passed an $8.4B coronavirus emergency funding bill.   President Trump signed the bill on March 6 in DC, canceling an announced trip to CDC.

Not many link to the source documents.  Find them here:
  • House.gov press release on passage, here.
  • Full text of H.R. 6074 (28pp) here.
  • Official summary of H.R. 6074 4pp) here.
  • Law firm summary at Faegre Drinker here.
Via the CDC, $2.2B "to support federal, state, local health agencies."  Mostly via BARDA and in part NIH, $3B for research and development of diagnostics, therapeutics, and vaccines.  $1B goes for stockpiling emergency supplies of different types.  

Division B, Section 102, provides the Secretary of HHS the authority to waive or modify Medicare restrictions on telemedicine services.  This applies in "emergency areas" as declared by the President or the Secretary.  This budget item is stated as exempt from pay-as-you-go standards.