Residents who are uninsured who need their booster will soon have to pay for COVID-19 tests and treatment. The federal program that reimbursed providers for virus-related care is ending. Washingtonians who haven’t received their booster shots should do so before April 5.
The program for the uninsured has stopped accepting claims for testing and treatment. In 2020 $100 billion in funding was dedicated to the program with an additional $78 billion appropriated. About 28 million Americans who don’t have health insurance are going to be affected the most.
The Biden administration wanted $22.5 billion in coronavirus funding in the $1.5 trillion omnibus spending bill. Republicans wanted to reallocate coronavirus aid to states. The White House is asking lawmakers to approve a new round of funding for COVID-19. Experts say elimination of the provider relief fund harms those who have the greatest risks due to lower resources and less access to usual care.
Uninsured COVID-19 patients will now have to depend on their local hospital’s charity and financial assistance programs for treatment and testing. After the end of April, hospitals and other health care providers in Washington can no longer bill the government for administering COVID-19 vaccines to people who don’t have health insurance.
COVID has had a huge impact on the healthcare system. Enrollment in Medicaid and children’s health insurance programs rose sharply during the pandemic to about 85 million people last fall, according to an analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
