Top line
With highly effective coronavirus vaccines available and rising hospital admissions, many Covid-19 patients face larger bills, as most insurance companies have ended their out-of-pocket waivers that they introduced. before the pandemic, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a cost that will be borne primarily by unvaccinated people most likely to require hospital treatment.
Healthcare workers put on personal protective equipment before treating a patient inside a Covid-19 … [+]
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Key factors
At the beginning of the pandemic, the vast majority of private health insurers voluntarily waived out-of-pocket expenses for Covid-19 treatment, meaning 88% of people with insurance coverage would not have paid anything if were hospitalized.
Without a federal mandate requiring insurers to waive these costs, there are few regulations that force them to do so at the state level and the widespread availability of effective vaccines, most have now returned these costs to patients, according to research of the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Of the two largest health plans in each state and in Washington, DC, nearly three-quarters (72%) are passing out out-of-pocket costs (including copayments and franchise payments) for Covid-19 treatment to patients, according to KFF . .
The 102 providers studied account for 62% of enrollment in fully insured individual and collective markets, KFF said.
Nearly half of the insurers surveyed had canceled their waivers in April, roughly the time when all adults in the country became eligible for a vaccine, and most of those who still eat the costs (almost a quarter). part of the insurers studied) intend to go through the end of the year.
Of the rest, two plans (about 2% of the total) have waivers that will expire in March 2022 and only five (about 5%) do not specify when the waivers will expire.
Key background
Although vaccines against Covid-19 and most coronavirus testing are supposed to be free, Americans hospitalized with coronavirus can still get care. Even with full coverage, the usual set of deductibles, copayments and co-insurance applies, and many of those admitted to a hospital have received surprise bills of astronomical sizes on leaving. With Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions, mostly among unvaccinated people across the country, and ending waivers, many people are likely to receive bills for treatment. There may be new waivers, some that will expire in October, that relate to the end of the federal public health emergency, although it may be unlikely given the availability of free vaccines that are very effective in preventing serious illness and hospitalization. Many believe vaccines should pay more for their health insurance and, according to reports, employers are considering raising premiums to try to get employees to get fired. Surveys suggest that Americans are perfectly divided on this issue, with about half (49%) in favor of employers charging more insurance to unvaccinated people. Of those who opposed, 73% were not vaccinated.
Tangent
Just over half of the American population is completely vaccinated against Covid-19. The vast majority of those hospitalized with the infection have not received it. Almost everyone who dies from Covid-19 does not. However, not all of them are eligible for vaccination, and hospitals are filling a record number of children suffering from the disease and young people who may not have been eligible for vaccination for a long time.
Great number
$ 1,644. This is, according to KFF, the typical deductible of an employer health plan. The cost was generally higher for small business workers (less than 200 workers), an average of $ 2,295.
To read more
Most private insurers no longer waive the cost sharing for COVID-19 (KFF) treatment
Some health insurers end waivers of Covid treatment rates (NBCNews)
Alabama beats Florida in Covid-19 pediatric hospitalizations after 300% admission in one week (Forbes)
How the pandemic (the Atlantic) ends now
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