COVID Pandemic's End May Bring Turbulence for U.S. Health Care
By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
A rash of emergency policies helped the U.S. health care system manage the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, but more disruptions are possible as the clock runs out on those temporary solutions. The public health emergency is currently slated to end on April 16, although federal officials are widely expected to extend it to the middle of July. Some say targeting an even later date would help facilitate the transition back from emergency measures. The Urban Institute think tank estimates 15 million Medicaid beneficiaries will be deemed ineligible under usual circumstances, for example, and that alone will present huge challenges. Also, Congress may need to take steps to preserve widespread telehealth access for traditional Medicare enrollees; decisions will have to be made about how to handle vaccines, tests, and treatments covered under FDA emergency use authorization; and potential fallout from dismantling special COVID-19 rules and payment policies for hospitals, physicians, and insurers must be considered. "The flexibilities granted through the public health emergency have helped people stay covered and get access to care, so moving forward the key question is how to build on what has been a success and not lose ground," said Medicare expert Juliette Cubanski with the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Read more on Associated Press.