Or the 3rd Covid Relief Bill, as most of us refer to the bill. This bill was passed by the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday by a largely partisan vote of 220-221. There are many different pieces and recipients to this $1.9 trillion dollar piece of legislation. It provides nearly $50 billion for Covid testing and prevention by providing funding for health care providers in rural areas; additional Covid-19 vaccines, testing, treatment and prevention; many capital projects that enable response to Covid; and, ensures that vaccines and treatment are provided without cost sharing under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

This bill also provides additional funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), programs supporting older Americans and their families, housing assistance, extends unemployment benefits and provides a maximum of $1,400 to eligible Americans, including those collecting social security.

There is allocated nearly $1.5 billion to carry out the Older Americans Act of 1965. There is additional support through the Social Security Act to increase funding for home health services, personal care services and rehabilitative services to Medicare qualified individuals.

It will take days, if not weeks, to fully understand all the different pieces of this large bill. However, we hope these highlights will help as we navigate the next few weeks.