[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 15 (Tuesday, January 26, 2021)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 7201-7203]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-01858]


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  Federal Register / Vol. 86 , No. 15 / Tuesday, January 26, 2021 / 
Presidential Documents  

[[Page 7201]]


                Executive Order 13997 of January 21, 2021

                
Improving and Expanding Access to Care and 
                Treatments for COVID-19

                By the authority vested in me as President by the 
                Constitution and the laws of the United States of 
                America, it is hereby ordered as follows:

                Section 1. Policy. It is the policy of my 
                Administration to improve the capacity of the Nation's 
                healthcare systems to address coronavirus disease 2019 
                (COVID-19), to accelerate the development of novel 
                therapies to treat COVID-19, and to improve all 
                Americans' access to quality and affordable healthcare.

                Sec. 2. Accelerating the Development of Novel 
                Therapies. To enhance the Nation's ability to quickly 
                develop the most promising COVID-19 interventions, the 
                Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), in 
                consultation with the Director of the National 
                Institutes of Health, shall:

                    (a) develop a plan for supporting a range of 
                studies, including large-scale randomized trials, for 
                identifying optimal clinical management strategies, and 
                for supporting the most promising treatments for COVID-
                19 and future high-consequence public health threats, 
                that can be easily manufactured, distributed, and 
                administered, both domestically and internationally;
                    (b) develop a plan, in consultation with non-
                governmental partners, as appropriate, to support 
                research:

(i) in rural hospitals and other rural locations; and

(ii) that studies the emerging evidence concerning the long-term impact of 
COVID-19 on patient health; and

                    (c) consider steps to ensure that clinical trials 
                include populations that have been historically 
                underrepresented in such trials.

                Sec. 3. Improving the Capacity of the Nation's 
                Healthcare Systems to Address COVID-19. To bolster the 
                capacity of the Nation's healthcare systems to support 
                healthcare workers and patients:

                    (a) The Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of HHS, 
                the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the heads of 
                other relevant executive departments and agencies 
                (agencies), in coordination with the Coordinator of the 
                COVID-19 Response and Counselor to the President 
                (COVID-19 Response Coordinator), shall promptly, as 
                appropriate and consistent with applicable law, provide 
                targeted surge assistance to critical care and long-
                term care facilities, including nursing homes and 
                skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, 
                intermediate care facilities for individuals with 
                disabilities, and residential treatment centers, in 
                their efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
                    (b) The COVID-19 Response Coordinator, in 
                coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the 
                Secretary of HHS, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
                and the heads of other relevant agencies, shall review 
                the needs of Federal facilities providing care to 
                COVID-19 patients and develop recommendations for 
                further actions such facilities can take to support 
                active military personnel, veterans, and Tribal nations 
                during this crisis.
                    (c) The Secretary of HHS shall promptly:

(i) issue recommendations on how States and healthcare providers can 
increase the capacity of their healthcare workforces to address the COVID-
19 pandemic; and

[[Page 7202]]

(ii) through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services 
Administration and the Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration, take appropriate actions, as consistent 
with applicable law, to expand access to programs and services designed to 
meet the long-term health needs of patients recovering from COVID-19, 
including through technical assistance and support to community health 
centers.

                Sec. 4. Improving Access to Quality and Affordable 
                Healthcare. (a) To facilitate the equitable and 
                effective distribution of therapeutics and bolster 
                clinical care capacity where needed to support patient 
                care, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of HHS, 
                and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination 
                with the COVID-19 Response Coordinator, shall establish 
                targets for the production, allocation, and 
                distribution of COVID-19 treatments. To meet those 
                targets, the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of 
                HHS, and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall 
                consider prioritizing, including through grants for 
                research and development, investments in therapeutics 
                that can be readily administered and scaled.

                    (b) To facilitate the utilization of existing 
                COVID-19 treatments, the Secretary of HHS shall 
                identify barriers to maximizing the effective and 
                equitable use of existing COVID-19 treatments and 
                shall, as appropriate and consistent with applicable 
                law, provide support to State, local, Tribal, and 
                territorial authorities aimed at overcoming those 
                barriers.
                    (c) To address the affordability of treatments and 
                clinical care, the Secretary of HHS shall, promptly and 
                as appropriate and consistent with applicable law:

(i) evaluate the COVID-19 Uninsured Program, operated by the Health 
Resources and Services Administration within HHS, and take any available 
steps to promote access to treatments and clinical care for those without 
adequate coverage, to support safety-net providers in delivering such 
treatments and clinical care, and to make the Program easy to use and 
accessible for patients and providers, with information about the Program 
widely disseminated; and

(ii) evaluate Medicare, Medicaid, group health plans, and health insurance 
issuers, and take any available steps to promote insurance coverage for 
safe and effective COVID-19 treatments and clinical care.

                Sec. 5. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order 
                shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or 
the head thereof; or

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget 
relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.

                    (b) This order shall be implemented consistent with 
                applicable law and subject to the availability of 
                appropriations.

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                    (c) This order is not intended to, and does not, 
                create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, 
                enforceable at law or in equity by any party against 
                the United States, its departments, agencies, or 
                entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any 
                other person.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

                THE WHITE HOUSE,

                    January 21, 2021.

[FR Doc. 2021-01858
Filed 1-25-21; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3295-F1-P