Increasing understanding of and improving health literacy

(a) In general The Secretary, in consultation with the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities and the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health, shall award grants to eligible entities to improve health care for patient populations that have low health literacy. (b) Eligibility To be eligible to receive a grant under subsection (a), an entity shall— (1) be a hospital, health center or clinic, health plan, or other health entity (including a nonprofit minority health organization or association); and (2) prepare and submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may reasonably require. (c) Use of funds (1) Agency for healthcare research and quality A grant under subsection (a) that is awarded through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shall be used— (A) to define and increase the understanding of health literacy across all areas of health care, including end of life care; (B) to investigate the correlation between low health literacy and health and health care; (C) to clarify which aspects of health literacy have an effect on health outcomes; and (D) for any other activity determined appropriate by the Director. (2) Health resources and services administration A grant under subsection (a) that is awarded through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration shall be used to conduct demonstration projects for interventions for patients with low health literacy that may include— (A) the development of new disease management and end of life care programs for patients with low health literacy; (B) the tailoring of disease management programs and end of life care addressing mental, physical, oral, and behavioral health conditions for patients with low health literacy; (C) the translation of written health materials for patients with low health literacy; (D) the identification, implementation, and testing of low health literacy screening tools; (E) the conduct of educational campaigns for patients and providers about low health literacy; (F) the conduct of educational campaigns concerning health directed specifically at patients with mental disabilities, including those with cognitive and intellectual disabilities, designed to reduce the incidence of low health literacy among these populations, which shall have instructional materials in the plain language standards promulgated under the Plain Writing Act of 2010 (5 U.S.C. 301 note) for Federal agencies; and (G) other activities determined appropriate by the Administrator. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) Low health literacy The term low health literacy means the inability of an individual to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions, and engage with and self-advocate within health care systems, including through completing documents and exercising patient rights. (2) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Health and Human Services— (A) acting through the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, with respect to grants under subsection (c)(1); and (B) acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration with respect to grants under subsection (c)(2). (e) Authorization of appropriations There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.