On May 11, the COVID-19 public health emergency officially comes to a close in the U.S., and with it comes an end to largely free access to all related healthcare. House Republicans might want to declare it over this instant, but a cushion is needed — and this one might not even be enough — to ensure everyone from insurers to drug companies to each of us knows what the unwinding means.
The transition timing is sensible. Thanks largely to vaccines, tests and treatments, COVID is no longer overwhelming hospitals (even as it continues to kill thousands each week). Millions of people will continue to get sick each year, with some portion of those needing treatment. And many of us — though unless we develop better vaccines, nowhere near as many as in 2021 — will want whatever booster comes next. The question is how easily each of us will access those interventions after May 11.
The answer comes down to a choose-your-own-adventure based on insurance status — one that ends with less happy outcomes for some versus others. The complexity of how various people will be able to access and pay for care could lead to a rather clunky transition after three years of a single plan: free vaccines, drugs, and treatment for all.
