New Law Requires HHS to Publish Resources for People With Disabilities

WASHINGTON—On Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025, President Joe Biden signed into law HR 670, also known as the Think Differently Database Act, which requires the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to establish a website to provide information on resources available to individuals with a disability and their caregivers and families.

“Thank you to Representatives Molinaro and Sherrill, and Senators Schmitt and Ossoff for their leadership,” the White House said in a briefing.

According to HR 670, the Secretary of Health and Human Services has three years from the enactment date to establish and update the website.  

The website must include:

• Information about eligibility, points of contact and covered long-term services and associated wait lists.
• Information about how to contact each State’s Medicaid office for information about Medicaid, including links and phone numbers for State contacts.
• Where applicable, the average amount of time that individuals newly enrolled in a State’s waiver program for home and community-based services in the past 12 months were on the list of individuals waiting to enroll in such waiver program.

Additionally, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) must promote the website to appropriate individuals, such as by collaborating with the Social Security Administration.

For a full list of what the website will be required to provide information on, see the full law here.