Mar 29, 2022 - Health

Why COVID care will likely get harder to access

Caitlin Owens

Illustration of a hand holding a syringe as a pen and writing a dollar sign. — Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios

The discontinuation of the federal program that makes free COVID care available to uninsured Americans means that they're likely to have a lot more difficulty accessing pandemic care, according to a new KFF brief.

Higher costs for many covered Americans are likely right around the corner, too.

Why it matters: If patients are on the hook for more of their COVID-related costs, a bad case of the virus could suddenly become a much larger financial burden.

Or patients may simply be less willing to get tested or vaccinated.

The big picture: The federal government has spent billions on coronavirus tests, treatments and vaccines, and in some cases — such as through the uninsured fund — has also paid providers for administering such care.

Public and private insurers have been restricted from passing along some COVID-related costs to enrollees. But many of these restrictions are tied to the public health emergency, which is set to end next month unless it's extended again.
The congressional standoff over new COVID funding has made this transition away from federal subsidization of care much more abrupt, especially for the uninsured.

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Why COVID care will likely get harder to access

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