Biden Order Unifies Agency Response to Long Covid

According to this article on Bloomberglaw.com, President Biden recently issued a memorandum directing Xavier Becerra, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, to develop an interagency “National Research Action Plan” on long Covid. The memorandum states that the Administration intends to “harness the full potential of the Federal Government, in coordination with public- and private-sector partners, to mount a full and effective response” to the devastating effects of long Covid. At a White House briefing, Secretary Becerra said: “We see you, we’re focused on you, and we are committed to advancing our nation’s capacity to understand and treat your conditions.”

The Bloomberg article also notes that the President “is directing the Social Security Administration to support an inclusive disability policy for long Covid patients and looking into ways to increase access to long Covid care through Medicare, Medicaid, insurance marketplace coverage, and other options.”