HR7496-119

What This Bill Does

The bill directs HHS to designate Health Investment Zones within two years for contiguous areas with measurable health disparities, such as income below 150 percent of poverty, above-average WIC participation, lower life expectancy, higher low birth weight, or health professional shortage status. Community nonprofits or local governments must apply in coalition with providers, hospitals, community clinics, health centers, social service organizations, and related organizations. The bill then attaches incentives: work opportunity tax credit eligibility, a 30 percent worker income tax credit, grants and subgrants for facilities and public-health strategies, practitioner loan repayment up to $10,000 per year and $100,000 total, Medicare Part B add-on payments, a 10-year report, and such sums as necessary for the 10-year zone period.

Who Benefits and How

Underserved communities, local governments, community-based nonprofits, Health Investment Zone practitioners, FQHCs, freestanding clinics, health centers, Medicare beneficiaries, and workers in zone-based health jobs benefit from a package aimed at attracting providers and improving access. Grants can fund mobile medical, mental health, behavioral health, and dental clinics; transportation to appointments; capacity for non-English speakers; healthy food, recreation, and housing access; facility improvements; and medical or dental equipment. Practitioners can receive loan repayment and Medicare add-on payments for serving in designated zones.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The HHS Secretary must solicit applications within one year, designate zones within two years, publish zone and partner information, evaluate applications, administer grants, run loan repayment, implement Medicare payment changes with CMS, and report after 10 years on incentives, provider attraction, disparities, outcomes, costs, hospital admissions, readmissions, primary care access, and emergency room use. IRS and Treasury must administer the new tax incentives. Community applicants must create sustainable plans, identify disease indicators, coordinate coalition partners, manage subgrants, and document use of funds.

Key Provisions

• Creates Health Investment Zones for areas with documented poverty, WIC participation, life expectancy, low birth weight, or provider-shortage indicators.
• Adds tax incentives including Work Opportunity Tax Credit eligibility and a 30 percent credit for qualified Health Investment Zone workers.
• Authorizes grants and subgrants for provider capacity, mobile clinics, transportation, healthy food, recreation, housing, facility improvements, and equipment.
• Creates practitioner loan repayment up to $10,000 per year and $100,000 total for service in a Health Investment Zone.
• Provides Medicare Part B add-on payments of 10 percent, plus additional 5 percent clinic/FQHC and 10 percent preventive-service bonuses.
• Requires a 10-year implementation report and authorizes such sums as necessary for the zone period.