US President Joe Biden informed congress that he will end all COVID-19 emergencies addressing on May 11. Here is what will change once the emergencies end.
Biden to bring the COVID-19 emergencies to an end
On Monday, President Joe Biden informed that since most of the world is closer to normalcy, he will be calling an end to COVID-19 emergencies. The move for ending the nationwide and public health emergency will result in the formal restructuring of the federal response to treat coronavirus and an endemic threat. The move comes as lawmakers have ended elements that insured millions of Americans during the pandemic.
The coronavirus was declared a public emergency on January 31, 2020, by then-US president Donald Trump
Biden’s announcement comes as statements opposing resolutions are brought to the floor by House Republicans seeking to bring the emergency to an end. They are also getting ready to launch investigations of the federal response to the pandemic. The coronavirus was declared a public emergency on January 31, 2020, by then-US president Donald Trump. Trump’s Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azardeckared it a national emergency in March. However, they were extended by Biden when he took office in January 2021.
More on the new changes
As per estimates from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), over 1.1 million people in the US lost their lives to COVID-19 since 2020. “An abrupt end to the emergency declarations would create wide-ranging chaos and uncertainty throughout the health care system — for states, for hospitals and doctors’ offices, and, most importantly, for tens of millions of Americans,” stated the Office of Management and Budget.
Lawmakers have been refusing to fulfill the Biden administration’s request for extending free COVID-19 vaccines and testing. “In some respects, the Biden administration is catching up to what a lot of people in the country have been experiencing. That said, hundreds of people a day are still dying from COVID,” stated Larry Levitt. Levitt is the executive vice president for health policy at Kaiser Family Foundation. “Still, some things will change for Americans once the emergency expires,” he added.
What will change once the COVID-19 emergencies end?
Once the COVID-19 emergency ends, the cost of the vaccine will skyrocket, as per Pfizer, it will charge $130 per dose after the government stops buying them. So far, only 15 percent of Americans revived all recommended doses.
“People with private insurance could have some out-of-pocket costs for vaccines, especially if they go to an out-of-network provider,” pointed out Levitt. Moreover, free at-home COVID-19 tests will come to an end. Hospitals will no longer receive extra payment for treating patients with COVID. The Biden administration previously considered ending the emergency last year. However, with the potential of a “winter surge,” they decided to hold it off.