Bill Overview
Title: Equal Access to Therapeutics Act
Description: This bill prohibits using race or ethnicity as a factor in decisions about an individual's access to COVID-19 treatments (e.g., monoclonal antibody therapies). Specifically, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not adopt any policy or guidance that allows race or ethnicity to be factored into such decisions. Furthermore, the Secretary of HHS shall be personally liable for the death of any individual who is denied access to COVID-19 treatments pursuant to a prohibited policy or guidance. The bill also prohibits hospitals or other health care providers that have policies restricting access to COVID-19 treatments based on race or ethnicity from receiving federal funds.
Sponsors: Rep. Davis, Rodney [R-IL-13]
Target Audience
Population: People needing COVID-19 treatment
Estimated Size: 330000000
- The primary population impacted are individuals in the United States who seek access to COVID-19 treatments.
- This bill specifically targets policies that involve race or ethnicity in treatment access, thus affecting racial or ethnic groups that might otherwise be considered in such decisions.
- COVID-19 treatments are a global concern; therefore, while the bill is U.S.-specific, its principles might be considered in other governments' health policies indirectly.
- Given the U.S.'s pivotal role in the global health sector, such policies might influence global discussions on equitable access to health care.
Reasoning
- The primary population impacted by the policy are individuals in the United States seeking access to COVID-19 treatments, particularly those from racial or ethnic minorities who might have experienced prioritization or deprioritization due to race or ethnicity in access schemes.
- Given the $50,000,000 budget for the first year and a total of $545,000,000 over ten years, the policy needs to efficiently target those hospitals and health care providers with policies that restrict access based on race or ethnicity.
- The policy seeks to ensure that all racial or ethnic groups have equal opportunities to access COVID-19 treatments, thus possibly affecting perceptions of fairness in the healthcare system and potentially boosting minority groups' trust in such interventions.
- Simulated interviews cover diverse aspects of the target population, including those directly affected by racial disparities in healthcare access and those not immediately impacted but part of the overall COVID-19 treatment landscape.
Simulated Interviews
Restaurant owner (New York, NY)
Age: 56 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems fair because everyone deserves the same chance for treatment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Nurse (Houston, TX)
Age: 34 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Removing race as a factor makes sense, but each case is unique. We need to ensure everyone gets what they need.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Health policy analyst (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy might avoid racial profiling in treatment allocation, but we must still address systemic disparities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Software engineer (Chicago, IL)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy doesn't affect me directly, but it could make the system more equitable.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 9 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 9 |
Retired teacher (Miami, FL)
Age: 70 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I hope this means better chances for people like me to get necessary treatments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Public health official (Seattle, WA)
Age: 50 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A necessary step, but focus should also include defeating systemic inequities in health beyond a single policy.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Journalist (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The policy seems good on paper, but real change comes from more than removing racial factors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Community activist (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 62 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- It's a step in the right direction. More policies should target the root issues of systemic inequity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 5 |
Student (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 25 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Equal treatment access is essential, but the issue is nuanced, especially for underrepresented minorities.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Medical doctor (Minneapolis, MN)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Emphasizing equality in treatment is needed, but holistic changes are required for broader equity.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $50000000 (Low: $30000000, High: $70000000)
Year 2: $51000000 (Low: $31000000, High: $71000000)
Year 3: $52000000 (Low: $32000000, High: $72000000)
Year 5: $54000000 (Low: $34000000, High: $74000000)
Year 10: $59000000 (Low: $36000000, High: $78000000)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- Legal challenges related to the liability clause for the Secretary of HHS.
- Impact on federal funding distribution towards healthcare institutions.
- Ensuring compliance and equitable treatment access across the nation.