If Congress and the White House are unable to reach a compromise during the Lame Duck session, COVID-19 Relief legislation will likely be the highest immediate priority of the incoming Biden Administration.  On Nov. 9, President-Elect Biden is expected to announce a group of transition advisors to develop an “action blueprint” to be ready by Jan. 20.  The “Biden-Harris COVID Plan” is summarized below.

Biden COVID-19 Relief Proposals

Testing, Coverage, Eliminating Barriers

• No copays, deductibles, or surprise billing

• National Disaster Medical System to reimburse providers

• 10 mobile testing/drive-through sites per state

• Ability to set up 100-bed temporary hospitals in any city

• Medicaid match for “presumptive eligibility”

• Increase Medicaid FMAP percentage 

• Delay Medicaid fiscal accountability regulation

• Federal employee access to workers’ comp

• Increase tele-emergency room, tele-ICU, telemedicine services

• Reverse Public Charge rule 

Vaccine Development

• Increase resources for effective distribution

• HHS to approve price for vaccines developed with federal funds

Frontline Workers

• Increased resources for PPE

• Establish temporary OSHA standard for health care facilities

• Create a Public Health Service Reserve Corps

• State and Local Emergency Fund created will provide overtime reimbursement for health workers and first responders

Emergency Unemployment Compensation

• Extend supplemental federal benefit

• Partial UI benefits for workers with a significant drop in hours

• Include gig workers, independent contractors

Nutrition

• Full federal funding for expanded SNAP benefits

Emergency Paid Leave, Caregiving Leave

• 14 days paid leave if sick, exposed, quarantined

• Employers reimbursed through a federal fund or tax deduction

Small Business

• Fund a State Small Business Credit Initiative

• Interest-free loans to small- and medium-sized businesses

Child Care, Education

• Expand assistance to child care facilities

• Assistance to schools (especially Title I) 

Student Loans and Rent Relief

• Relief, forbearance of student loans, federally backed mortgages

International Activity

• Recreate Directorate for Global Health Security within NSC

• Create Global Health Emergency Board to coordinate CDC, WHO

• Deploy USAID Disaster Assistance Response Teams