Federal funding for free covid-19 testing and treatments are on the verge of running out, which is bad news for Americans uninsured.
At the beginning of the pandemic, the U.S. government arranged a program to reimburse hospitals and clinics for any care they performed on uninsured patients, this included hospital stays, COVID-19 testing, and antibody treatments. However, the $15 billion funding package for pandemic coverage is still stalled in Congress, and now the program says it’s no longer accepting claims “due to lack of sufficient funds.”
One of the largest testing networks in the country, Quest Diagnostics announced that they have started informing uninsured patients that “they can’t get it for free,” spokesperson Kimberly B. Gorode said.
If they seek testing, they will be charged $125 or $100 if they see a doctor. As for vaccinations, they will no longer be free for the uninsured, NPR reported.
The lack of funding has also negatively impacted shipments of monoclonal antibodies, which has caused the government to cut the amount sent to states by 35%.
The lack of funding is because Congress eliminated the proposed $15 billion for the program.
White House officials tried to push Congress to include the funding in the spending bill so that the country could stay on top of the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was Republicans who objected and asked for details on how the previous funding was used, but health officials criticized that objection, saying that they had already sent that information.
Democrats say they will now work to pass a standalone bill for COVID-19 funding, but Senate Democrats are unlikely to have enough votes to get it passed.
“Continued execution requires continued support from Congress,” Becerra said last week. “And at this stage, our resources are depleted.”
