Get the latest market trends in your inbox
Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with the Axios Markets newsletter. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Denver news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Des Moines news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Minneapolis-St. Paul news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Minneapolis-St. Paul
Tampa-St. Petersburg news in your inbox
Catch up on the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa-St. Petersburg
Carney Hospital and its testing tent in Massachusetts. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Sixteen senators have asked the nation's largest health insurance companies — Aetna, Anthem, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Cigna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealth Group — to "suspend all cost-sharing requirements connected with treatments for COVID-19 and associated health complications."
Why it matters: Almost all insurers have said they are waiving copays, deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for all coronavirus testing, but the bigger concern is treatment and hospitalization for the illness, which could rack up thousands of dollars in bills for patients.
What they're saying: "If there's a perception that cost is going to be a significant barrier to diagnosis or treatment, then people are going to stay outside the system, and that's going to lead to further spread of the virus," Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) told Axios.
Go deeper: Read the letter