What Happens When the Public Health Emergency Ends?
One thing is certain during these uncertain times: leaders and organizations need to plan and then plan some more. Such is the case with the public health emergency (PHE) surrounding COVID-19. The PHE was last extended in mid-April for 90 days until July 15. The Biden administration has repeatedly said it would give stakeholders 60 days’ notice before ending the PHE. No such announcement has come, so most industry observers expect the PHE to stay in place at least until October.
Still, an eventual end to the PHE will dramatically impact health coverage provisions that have been in place throughout the pandemic. We analyzed a couple of key areas where leaders need to prepare for changes: coverage for COVID-19 testing and a rise in the number of uninsured Americans. Our analysis shows that 5.1 million people could lose health coverage by 2024 due to the combined impact of two provisions that expanded access to coverage expiring, as described below.
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