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People walk past a COVID-19 testing site on July 28, 2022 in New York City.
Liao Pan | China News | Getty Images
The Ministry of Health and Social Affairs explained on Thursday what will change and stay the same when the three-year public health emergency due to Covid ends in May.
Health Minister Xavier Becerra formally notified state governors on Thursday that he is renewing the declaration one last time, but plans for the state of emergency to expire on May 11. The White House already informed Congress about these plans last week.
HHS officials spoke with reporters to explain what the public can expect once the emergency is over.
Immediate changes:
- People with private health insurance may have to pay for Covid tests, both over-the-counter and in a lab, depending on their plan.
- Seniors with Medicare Part B will begin paying for over-the-counter tests, although the program will cover lab tests.
- Hospitals will lose the flexibility to expand capacity in response to surges.
- The federal government can no longer require laboratories to report test results to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Long-term changes
- Covid vaccines and antiviral drugs like Paxlovid will remain free for everyone, regardless of insurance status, until current federal supplies run out.
- Expanded telehealth through Medicare will also remain in place until December 2024 under federal spending legislation passed in December. But after that, it will end without congressional intervention.
The Food and Drug Administration will still have the authority to quickly approve vaccines, tests and treatments for Covid through its separate emergency powers.
Millions of people also risk losing health insurance through Medicaid this year as federal protections that provided people during the pandemic end. These protections were once tied to public health emergencies, but Congress has since decided to phase them out separately.
In short, states can start kicking people off Medicaid as early as April if they no longer qualify for the public health insurance program. HHS plans to open a special enrollment period so these individuals can apply for coverage under the Affordable Care Act.
Although Covid vaccines and treatments will remain free for everyone after the public health emergency ends, that may change for uninsured adults when federal supplies run out.
The Biden administration plans to stop buying vaccines and drugs for the public as early as this fall, in part because Congress has not appropriated additional funding. When the federal government withdraws, vaccines and drugs will be purchased and distributed through the private market.
This means that Pfizer and Moderna will sell the vaccines directly to health care providers, and whether you pay will depend on whether you have insurance.
People with coverage under the Affordable Care Act and Medicare will still get the vaccination for free. Those on Medicaid will receive the vaccination for free until September 2024, after which coverage will vary by state.
Uninsured adults will likely have to pay for the shots when supplies run out, though the White House has said it is working on plans to help them.
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