COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Ends
May 31, 2023 - The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) officially expired on May 11th. The end of the PHE will see the private sector begin to assume much of the responsibility for vaccine and treatment distribution.
The COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) officially expired on May 11th. The end of the PHE will see the private sector begin to assume much of the responsibility for vaccine and treatment distribution. Vaccines and treatments will continue to remain available at no out-of-pocket cost to people without health insurance through 2024. While Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Program beneficiaries can continue to access COVID-19 vaccines for free, they may see increased cost-sharing for COVID-19 tests and treatments. Several COVID-19 related flexibilities and regulatory authorities were de-linked from the emergency declaration prior to the end of the PHE. To assist stakeholders in navigating the various changes that will accompany the winddown of the PHE, the administration has released the following resources:
- HHS Fact Sheet: HHS Announces 'HHS Bridge Access Program For COVID-19 Vaccines and Treatments' to Maintain Access to COVID-19 Care for the Uninsured (April 18, 2023) (link)
- HHS Fact Sheet: COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Transition Roadmap (February 9, 2023) (link)
- HHS OIG Unwinding Guide: OIG's COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Flexibilities End on May 11, 2023 Upon Expiration of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Declaration (link)
- CMS Fact Sheet: Physicians and Other Clinicians: CMS Flexibilities to Fight COVID-19 (link)
- CMS Fact Sheet: What Do I Need to Know? CMS Waivers, Flexibilities, and the Transition Forward from the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (link)
HRS' consultants, Hart Health Strategies Inc., also prepared a document, Unwinding of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, compiling the key excerpts from the federal agency resources on these policy changes, including those related to telehealth, HIPAA compliance, and physician supervision.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared an end to COVID-19 as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, while emphasizing that COVID-19 continues to remain a global public health threat. Experts have warned that there is an approximately 20% chance of an outbreak rivaling the intensity of the omicron variant occurring in the next two years.