Sec. 3. Research on United States health care system’s response to Long COVID

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The Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Director of the National Institutes of Health, and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall conduct or support research related to the United States health care system’s response to Long COVID, including with respect to— the expansion and effectiveness of post-infectious disease treatment, including— identifying barriers to access for treatment of COVID–19, Long COVID, and related conditions for veterans, older adults, people with disabilities, children and young adults, communities of color, underserved and rural communities, and other groups impacted by high rates of COVID–19, as determined by the Secretary; evaluating and identifying potential gaps or other weaknesses that contribute to age, gender, geographic location, disability, occupation, and racial and ethnic disparities with respect to COVID–19 infection rates, severity and length of symptoms, associated diagnoses, and outcomes; and identifying trends associated with differences in diagnosis and treatment of Long COVID and related conditions by demographic factors such as age, gender, geographic location, disability, occupation, race, ethnicity, or other factors identified by the Secretary to promote health equity; and conducting and supporting research to— identify health care strategies that help mitigate age, gender, geographic location, disability, occupation, and racial and ethnic disparities in COVID–19 infection rates, hospitalizations, severity and length of symptoms, secondary illnesses, and outcomes; identify health care-related factors contributing to such disparities in COVID–19 infection rates, hospitalizations, severity and length of symptoms, secondary illnesses, and outcomes; and provide recommendations on ensuring equity in diagnosis and access to quality post-infectious treatments that may be advanced to mitigate such disparities.

To carry out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated $15,000,000 for fiscal year 2024, which shall remain available until expended.