Keep COVID-19 Testing Free For All

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The program that reimbursed costs for testing has stopped accepting claims, cutting off access to the uninsured. Take a stand!

Keep COVID-19 Testing Free For All

As of March 22nd the federal government ran out of funds for COVID-19 testing for uninsured patients1. Without immediate action this will result in millions of Americans losing access to critically important testing.

The program that reimbursed clinics and hospitals for the testing stopped accepting claims “due to lack of sufficient funds2.”

Some clinics have already started to turn away people without insurance who come to get tested and can’t afford to pay for it3. The costs of administering them will no longer be billed to the federal program4.

Federal shipments of monoclonal antibody treatments to states — drugs designed to keep people infected with the coronavirus out of the hospital — were also slashed by 35%, according to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra5.

With the recent announcement of the HRSA program losing funding, everyone from medical providers to patients will be impacted6.

The federal government has stated that there is currently no funding to purchase additional COVID-19 tests, treatments, and vaccines, and that there is not a sufficient supply for vaccines to cover fourth doses if they are eventually recommended7.

This limits equitable access to these resources for the uninsured, and in many cases removes access altogether.

Help us ensure those who are not covered by insurance continue to have access to free COVID-19 testing. Sign the petition and ask that Congress budget more for the HRSA fund so it will continue to cover claims submitted for uninsured patients.

More on this issue:

  1. Selena Simmons-Duffin, NPR (29 March 2022), "Free COVID tests and treatments no longer free for uninsured, as funding runs out."
  2. Health Resources & Services Administration, "Provider Relief Fund."
  3. Nina Feldman, Alan Yu, WHYY (28 March 2022), "How pharmacies and labs are scrambling to manage loss of federal COVID funds."
  4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (6 April 2022), "Medicare Billing for COVID-19 Vaccine Shot Administration."
  5. The White House (23 March 2022), "Press Briefing by White House COVID-⁠19 Response Team and Public Health Officials."
  6. Jennifer Tolbert, Samantha Artiga, Jennifer Kates, and Robin Rudowitz, Kaiser Family Foundation (28 March 2022), "Implications of the Lapse in Federal COVID-19 Funding on Access to COVID-19 Testing, Treatment, and Vaccines."
  7. Dan Diamond, Rachel Roubein and Yasmeen Abutaleb, The Washington Post (22 March 2022), "White House officials say U.S. has exhausted funds to buy potential fourth vaccine dose for all Americans."

The Petition

To Congress and the Health Resources & Services Administration,

As you are well aware, the program that reimbursed clinics and hospitals for COVID-19 testing has stopped accepting claims "due to lack of sufficient funds."

Everyone from medical providers to patients is impacted by this decision, but those who are uninsured are being hurt most.

Some clinics have already started to turn away people without insurance who come to get tested and can't afford to pay for it.

A global pandemic deserves an appropriate response from the U.S. Government. Americans should not be burdened with the cost of testing and vaccines for a disease that has already left tens of millions dead.

Without your immediate action, millions of Americans losing access to critically important testing.

I implore you to budget more for the Health Resources & Services Administration fund so it will continue to cover claims submitted for uninsured patients.

Sincerely,

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