Joe Biden confirmed the end of US COVID-19 emergency status after he signed an order to terminate the policy. Americans will encounter steep prices for COVID tests and other healthcare services after the policy ends.
Joe Biden on Monday announced the end of US COVID-19 Emergency status. President Joe Biden’s administration signed an order putting an end to the 2020 national emergency declaration made by former President Donald Trump. The White House said on Monday that the decision was a sign that the pandemic has come down to a less intense phase.
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Joe Biden says, “US COVID-19 Emergency status is officially over.”
The move to end the emergency status also invites major consequences and significant changes in every aspect of life, from healthcare to hospitals to immigration. For millions of Americans, the end will see increased prices for COVID tests and vaccinations. Healthcare providers will return to pre-pandemic rules for hospitals and clinics, whereas surveillance on COVID spread will no longer work, and labs operating to report COVID testing data to the Department of Health and Human Services will cease as well.
The announcement came as the administration organised a scheduled vote on a bill that would immediately end the national emergency. The bill, named the Pandemic Is Over Act, will be considered by the administration in the coming week.
End of US COVID-19 Emergency status might hike prices of Healthcare services
For most, the changes might become aggressive and chaotic, and as such, the White House has decided to keep the emergency active for a few more months, which will allow healthcare providers, hospitals, and health officials to tackle multiple challenges along the way once it ends, according to officials.
Still, many other services might become more expensive for Americans, particularly for those who do not have any insurance. People who had private health insurance or Medicare coverage were eligible for eight COVID tests each month. While insurers had to cover tests that were administered by providers outside their network. As the emergency ends, most Americans will end up paying from their pocket to avail those services. Similarly, people with Medicaid or Medicare coverage will have access to vaccines, while others may have to pay for COVID treatments like Paxlovid. Hospitals will also see reductions in Medicare payment rates, along with other health services.
Biden’s administration close the lid on Trump’s Title-42 policy
Biden’s administration would also put an end to a Trump-era policy called Title-42 that saw the administration evade immigration law and push away asylum seekers at the border on health grounds. The Biden administration has been working to end the enforced policy for some time, although Congressional Republicans have filed challenges urging the court to extend the policy.
Even with the end of Title-42, the transition will be a litmus test for Biden’s administration’s very own immigration policy. The end of Title-42 will reinstate the fundamental rights provided to migrants. However, the Department of Homeland Security leveraged the change by distributing more resources to border facilities. At the same time, the administration has taken contingency measures to handle the influx of migrants.
Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers, who see the changes as a calculated push to advance their political agenda, have accused Biden’s administration of its disordered handling of the pandemic. The lawmakers blamed the administration for spending extravagantly in the name of battling COVID-19.
The Republican representative of Louisiana, Steve Scalise, said in a statement that Biden should immediately end the declaration rather than doing it at a later date. He added that the administration had wasted billions of taxpayer dollars to propagate their radical agenda.
New decision might invite uncontrollable repercussions
Jennifer Kates, vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, warned that the changes might provoke negative reactions from Americans. Adding that the relaxed Americans might let their guard down, which could raise serious challenges in the future.
Although she said that the declaration will also help more people gain access to important services that were not available because of the health care system’s fractured way of covering the costs of care.
The pandemic has claimed more than 1 million lives among Americans over the last three years. Many people are still questioning the government’s ability to tackle any future deadly virus outbreaks. While the pandemic has lost some of its effectiveness, the long-term effects of a national emergency will continue to exist for years to come.
