What The End Of The COVID Public Health Emergency Means For You
Bottom line: your coverage and costs may be changing.
The Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 has officially come to an end. That means that after May 11, 2023, the government will stop paying for some COVID testing and treatments.
Vaccines will continue to be covered for people with private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid. But some people may have to pay out of pocket for COVID treatments like the antiviral pill called Paxlovid.
The kind of insurance you have and where you live will determine your costs and coverages for the disease. To help you make sense of what’s changing, AARP Foundation has put together an overview.
In general, if you have…
Medicare
- You’re no longer eligible for eight free at-home Covid tests each month.
- You may have to pay for therapies like antivirals and tests ordered by a doctor.
- Your COVID vaccine and boosters are still available at no cost.
Medicaid
- You’re no longer eligible for eight free at-home Covid tests each month.
- You’ll still have COVID tests and antiviral treatments covered at no cost through September 30, 2024, thanks to the American Rescue Plan.
- Your COVID vaccine and boosters are still available at no cost.
Private Insurance
- You’re no longer eligible for eight free at-home Covid tests each month.
- You may have new co-pays for antiviral treatments and PCR tests.
- Your COVID vaccine and boosters are still available at no cost — as long as they’re in your insurer’s network.
If you don’t have insurance, you may still be able to get testing through pharmacies and community-based sites under a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program.
Could you lose Medicaid Coverage?
The Public Health Emergency also ensured people didn’t lose coverage during the pandemic. States received billions in federal aid on the condition they not remove people from Medicaid during the Emergency.
In addition, states were not able to disenroll people from Medicaid. Those receiving Medicaid didn’t have to have their eligibility checked — known as a redetermination — during the Emergency. Now, state officials will be able to resume checks on eligibility and begin removing ineligible enrollees.
To avoid losing your coverage, know when the annual eligibility check will happen in your state, so you can complete the paperwork in time. Find your local Medicaid agency here.
Changes in coverage and charges: get an overview of what is still covered as the public health emergency ends.
The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency is officially ending, and Medicaid and other programs are changing. Learn how your benefits might be affected.
If you’re enrolled in Medicare and struggling to pay health care costs, Medicare Savings Programs and “Extra Help” could save you $7,000 a year.