US ends COVID emergency declaration. Here’s how you can still get tests, vaccines in PA
An era came to an end Thursday when the public and national health emergencies for the coronavirus pandemic were rescinded.
The move, announced by President Joe Biden in January, is effective just days after the World Health Organization ended its own emergency declaration for the virus. In the U.S., the policy shift will affect several services available to Americans throughout the pandemic, including free vaccines, COVID-19 tests and even federally funded health care coverage plans.
Here’s what you need to know as public access to COVID-19 tests, vaccines and more shifts in the coming weeks.
Health care coverage
Thousands of low-income families and individuals in Pennsylvania qualify for Medicaid. Moving forward, the program’s beneficiaries will need to pay heightened attention to their coverage.
The federal government will no longer continuously cover Medicaid recipients, which was once a provision of the public health emergency. In April, states began resuming pre-pandemic processes for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) renewals, eligibility determinations and disenrollements where necessary.
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Those who receive Medicaid and CHIP benefits will not automatically lose their coverage due to the policy shift. All recipients will have the chance to renew their policies over a 12-month period, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services says.
“No one will lose their health coverage without having a chance to complete a renewal or update their information,” the DHS says. “But, if you do not return your renewal when it is due, you may risk losing your coverage.”
Pennsylvanians can visit dhs.pa.gov/COMPASS to check their renewal date or submit renewal forms online. Those who receive benefits should also receive a renewal notice in the mail.
Pandemic-era Medicaid beneficiaries who no longer qualify for the program are expected to receive referrals to other coverage plans, the DHS says. While the public and national health emergencies were active, states could not disenroll people from Medicaid plans, even if they were no longer eligible or did not submit renewal forms.
The Urban Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit research group, estimates roughly 18 million people across the country will eventually lose Medicaid coverage after the declarations expire.
Finding COVID-19 tests
For now, the federal government still offers free COVID-19 tests upon request.
You can visit COVIDtests.gov to order up to four free test kits for each household. The service, launched in early 2022, will continue providing tests without costs, including shipping fees, through the end of May, according to the U.S. Department of Human Services.
Starting May 11, Medicare will no longer cover or pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, though some plans in some states may make exceptions. Eligible patients may still receive access to laboratory-conducted tests moving forward.
According to HHS, state Medicaid programs must continue providing coverage without cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing through Sept. 30, though coverage may vary between states after that date.
Down the road, Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries will likely need a doctor’s order to receive free tests, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a health policy research nonprofit.
Private insurance plans are no longer required by federal law to cover over-the-counter or laboratory-conducted COVID-19 tests, but some plans may continue such policies, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Across Pennsylvania, COVID-19 tests will remain free at community health centers and local-level clinics. Ferguson Township in Centre County is slated to host a walk-up clinic in State College through July.
You can find a community health center near you by visiting my.pachc.org/Find-A-Health-Center.
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Getting vaccinated
For now, most Americans will remain eligible to receive COVID-19 vaccinations at no cost, HHS says.
The Biden administration will spend more than $1 billion on a new program that will cover vaccinations for the uninsured after vaccines move to the commercial market. The program, expected to cover roughly 30 million people, will include access to Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines and booster shots, HHS says.
Those who remain on insurance plans, including Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP, should continue receiving vaccine coverage. Thanks to a provision within the Affordable Care Act, private insurance companies must cover recommended vaccines without co-pays. However, you may need to get your shots within your coverage network to avoid additional costs.
Uninsured children remain eligible for free vaccines through the federal government’s Vaccines for Children program.
Eventually, Moderna and Pfizer expect to charge at least $100 per vaccine dose once the federal government’s newly announced program ends and vaccines hit the commercial market. Those with insurance should be able to secure doses with little cost, if any.
To find a free COVID-19 vaccine or booster shot near you, visit vaccines.gov.
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COVID-19 treatments
Doses of COVID-19 treatment drugs purchased by the federal government, including Paxlovid, will remain available at no charge to all Americans as long as supplies last. In other cases, you may need to pay for pharmaceutical treatments moving forward.
Costs for treatments will vary for those who receive Medicare benefits and anyone with a private insurance plan. Medicaid and CHIP beneficiaries will continue receiving free treatments when necessary through September 2024, HHS says.
Treatments will be available on the commercial market once the government’s supply runs out, but coverage through Medicare and other insurance plans is not guaranteed, the Kaiser Family Foundation reports. Co-pays and other fees may accompany treatment purchases through private insurance plans and for those without insurance.
COVID-19 data
In Pennsylvania, the future of COVID-19 data reporting remains unclear.
So far, the state Department of Health has not laid out plans for future data reporting. Since the pandemic began, the commonwealth has organized and regularly updated a comprehensive online dashboard that charts cases, hospitalizations, deaths, vaccination rates and more throughout Pennsylvania.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the federal government will continue to update its pages and visualizations “based on available data,” perhaps indicating updates may be subject to state-level reporting. Before the pandemic-era public health emergencies expired, the CDC updated its maps, charts and data logs every weekday by 8 p.m.
