Lewis asked: hello welcome your health fast, Scientific American Podcast series!
Josh Fishman: This show focuses on the latest important health news and discoveries that affect your body and mind.
We will cover one topic each time. We discuss diseases, treatments, and some controversies.
Lewis: And it unlocks the mysteries of medical research in ways you can harness to stay healthy.
My name is Tanya Lewis.
Fishman: My name is Josh Fishman.
Lewis: it was Scientific AmericanSenior Health Editor of .
On today’s show, the official COVID-19 public health emergency has ended this month. what does that mean to you? Will the way we get vaccines, tests and treatments change? Will we pay for them differently? And how will we hear warnings about new waves of COVID-19?
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fishman: The new coronavirus pandemic is not over yet. But many public emergencies do. A few weeks ago, the U.S. government ended the public health emergency it has been implementing since early 2020. And the World Health Organization announced that the disease “is no longer a public health emergency of international concern.”
Lewis: It’s important to keep in mind that viruses are still a threat. As of mid-May, about 4,000 people a day were hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States, and more than 800 died each week.
But the end of the U.S. public health emergency shows that the numbers are far below those of the days when thousands died every day. And that number continues to decline. In the interim, we can say that we are moving in the right direction.
fishman: But I was wondering if the US declaration would give everyone access to what people still need. Get vaccinated and tested for COVID-19. Vaccines have been free for years, and so are most quick home tests. The emergency allowed the government to set rules on pricing and insurance coverage. I don’t know if that will change now.
Fortunately, we do I know someone who can teach us.
Lewis: That’s right. Our colleague Lauren Young, Associate Health Editor at SciAm, wrote an article on this very subject. So we asked her to appear on her show and give everyone her information. Hello Lauren!
young: Hi, Tanya. Hi Josh,
fishman: Welcome to your health, soon. I am glad that you are here.
young: I’m really happy to be here. Thank you for inviting me.
fishman: So, can you tell us how the end of this public emergency will affect healthcare for COVID-19? What will happen to the vaccine in the first place?
young: right. Those shots really matter. The COVID-19 vaccine has definitely improved people’s defenses against the virus and turned the tide of the pandemic. Since it was made available in 2021, it’s completely free to anyone who wants it, regardless of whether or not they have insurance or what type of insurance they have.
This is because the federal government has purchased about 2 billion doses of the novel coronavirus vaccine and 171 million bivalent boosters (prescribed to cover Omicron strains).
Health care providers cannot refuse or charge out-of-pocket for vaccines or boosters purchased with government money.
Lewis: That’s great news. So basically we have a stockpile. But what happens when it’s gone?
young: Well, if the government decides not to refill it, the cost you have to pay depends on your insurance. People with most private insurance and certain Medicare programs should still be able to get vaccines from providers in the network at no out-of-pocket cost.
Medicaid members will have vaccine coverage at no co-pay through September 30, 2024. This also applies to future boosters recommended by the CDC.
Lewis: He said he didn’t have insurance. What do I have to pay?
young: right. Vaccine giants Pfizer and Moderna have alluded to retail prices of $110 to $130 per dose, about three to four times the discount the government pays per dose.
But for those without insurance, there is some good news…The Department of Health and Human Services has announced a $1.1 billion program to continue providing the uninsured with a COVID-19 vaccine, along with certain antiviral treatments. Did. The funding is expected to last until December 2024.
fishman: I have private insurance, SciAm group plan. With the new Fall Booster, do you think you’ll have to pay nothing? Don’t you even need the $20 copay you sometimes have to hand over for prescriptions?
young: Well, I have the same plan, so I asked the exact same question. So, as long as you get your vaccine from a provider in our network, you don’t have to pay anything (even out-of-pocket) for vaccines or future boosters. Covid-19 vaccines will likely move to seasonal programs, so coverage will be similar to influenza vaccines. Experts I spoke to suspect many other private insurers will do the same.
Lewis: Does the same apply to treatments like Paxlovid?
young: Pretty much. So the government has also stockpiled these medicines and people will continue to get them for free regardless of their insurance status. But again, when those supplies run out, their prices must be covered by insurance.
Lewis: I heard that many private insurance companies have already stopped paying the full out-of-pocket costs for hospital visits and treatment for new coronavirus infections. They basically treat COVID-19 like any other disease.
young: Yes, that’s exactly right. But if you’re in a government insurance program that covers medicines (Medicare or Medicaid), you won’t have to pay anything for a while. Medicare will be free indefinitely and Medicaid will be free for treatment until September 30, 2024, after which coverage will be determined state by state.
Fishman: Let’s talk about COVID-19 testing. I am getting a free at-home antigen test by mail from the government. It was also freely available from the local library. And my insurance paid for the things I bought at the drugstore.
But now everything is changing. Private insurers are no longer required to cover home and lab tests.
youngA: Yes, it really depends on your insurance plan. They will decide if the costs will continue to be fully covered or if you will have to pay part or all of the fees. COVID-19 tests are likely to be treated like other preventative screening tests, such as blood sugar and cholesterol tests.
fishman: If you don’t have insurance, you may have already paid for the COVID-19 test out of pocket before the public health emergency ended.
young: Yeah, it started in the middle of last year, when many COVID-19 relief funds and reimbursement programs began to close.
Lewis: From my understanding, Medicaid is different because each state has its own program. These programs must cover free testing through September 30, 2024, after which it’s up to individual states to decide.
If you’re a Medicare beneficiary, you’ll still be covered if your doctor or provider ordered a COVID-19 PCR test.
However, testing at home is a different story.
young: they are. For home testing, Medicare members must pay the same fees as private insurance policyholders. I did a price survey. At most drugstores and retailers, home test kits cost between $10 and $40.
fishman: So my insurance doesn’t cover anything like that?
young: Yes, that’s right. In general, you can expect testing to be more out-of-pocket than it used to be.
Lewis: I have a lot of tests at home. However, there are some that are close to the expiry date indicated on the package.
young: Look, it might still be good. The FDA extended its use-by date after finding that many tests maintained their accuracy over time. You can check the new dates on his website at the FDA. Just search for “coronavirus diagnostic test”.
Lewis: Another thing I’m very interested in as the emergency ends is how to track COVID-19 levels. The CDC emphasizes the level of infection in the community as a way of determining how much care should be taken. If there is a peak in the number of infected people or a certain level of hospitalization, consider wearing a high-quality mask in crowded indoor spaces. Or
But the CDC is changing its reporting now, right? It doesn’t ask your local health department to report positive test rates, infection levels, or how many people are infected.
young: That is correct. The CDC, which has historically been one of the primary sources of COVID-19 case-to-count data, will now include COVID-19 mortality rates, emergency room data, and hospitalizations as the primary national surveillance measure. It depends on the number of people.
This is partly because some of the data on case rates were somewhat unreliable. They came into question when people started using more widely available at-home COVID-19 tests.
For now, the CDC says weekly COVID-19 hospitalization rates are a better indicator of an epidemic.
fishman: have understood. So where can I find the number of hospitalized patients in my area?
young: Local city and state public health departments have this information. You can also find hospitalizations by county and state on the CDC’s COVID data tracker.
fishman: There is another place where you can search for occurrence alerts. It’s a sewer. Epidemiologist Caitlin Jetelina recently suggested in a newsletter that people are tracking local and regional wastewater trends, and that data will continue to come in. Wastewater analysis is a powerful tool for identifying and tracking variants and monitoring infections.
Lewis: Good idea. The sewage figure measures the amount of the virus that causes COVID-19 in sewage and is a good proxy for the number of infected people. So if you see an increase in the number of infected people in your area, you should probably start taking precautions such as masks.
young: I think that’s pretty sound advice. CDC’s data tracker allows him to find COVID wastewater monitoring data.
fishman: It was really good. Overall, I feel like I know more than I did 10 minutes ago.
Lewis: me too. For more information, check out Lauren’s story online at sciam.com. Lauren, it was great talking to you.
young: Thank you so much for having me.
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fishman: Your Health, Quickly is produced by Tulika Bose, Jeff DelViscio and Kelso Harper. Edited by Elah Feder and Alexa Lim. Our music was composed by Dominic Smith.
Lewis: our show is part of Scientific American‘s podcast, science fast. You can subscribe from anywhere you can get a podcast. If you like the show, please rate or review it.
Also, if you have ideas for topics to cover, email Yourhealthquickly@sciam.com. Know your health instantly with SCIAM.com.
fishman: Don’t forget to visit sciam.com for the latest and in-depth health news.
Lewis: I’m Tanya Lewis.
Fishman: My name is Josh Fishman.
Lewis: I will be back in 2 weeks. Thank you for listening!
