eHI Summary: The American Rescue Plan Act, a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus package. The legislation contains provisions related to health IT and digital health, including:

• Sec. 1002 – Emergency Rural Development Grants for Rural Health Care. Appropriates $500,000,000 for the Secretary of Agriculture to award grants for activities including increasing telehealth capabilities, including underlying health care information systems.
   
• Sec. 2301 – Funding for COVID-19 Vaccine Activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Appropriates $7,500,000,000 to the Secretary of Health & Human Services to carry out activities to plan, prepare for, promote, distribute, administer, monitor, and track COVID–19 vaccines. The funds shall be used for providing technical assistance, guidance, and support to, and awarding grants or cooperative agreements to, State, local, Tribal, and territorial public health departments for enhancement of COVID–19 vaccine distribution and administration capabilities, including information technology, standards-based data, and reporting enhancements, including improvements necessary to support standards-based sharing of data related to vaccine distribution and vaccinations and systems that enhance vaccine safety, effectiveness, and uptake, particularly among underserved populations.
   
• Sec. 2401 – Funding for COVID-19 Testing, Contact Tracing, and Mitigation Activities. Appropriates $47,800,000,000 to the Secretary of Health & Human Services to carry out activities to detect, diagnose, trace, and monitor SARS–CoV–2 and COVID–19 infections and related strategies to mitigate the spread of COVID–19. With these funds, the Secretary shall address certain requirements, including enhance information technology, data modernization, and reporting, including improvements necessary to support sharing of data related to public health capabilities.
   
• Sec. 2707 – Funding for Community-Based Funding for Local Behavioral Health Needs. Appropriates $50,000,000 for the Secretary of Health & Human Services, acting through the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, to award grants for activities including providing mental and behavioral health services to individuals with mental health needs (including co-occurring substance use disorders) as delivered by behavioral and mental health professionals utilizing telehealth services.
   
• Sec. 11001 – Indian Health Service. Appropriates $6,094,000,000 to the Secretary of Health & Human Services, $140,000,000 of which shall be for information technology, telehealth infrastructure, and the Indian Health Service electronic health records system.
   

To view the full legislative text, click here.