by Leslie Small
Facing mounting criticism for deciding not to allow a special
enrollment period (SEP) on the federal health insurance exchange amid the
COVID-19 crisis, the Trump administration offered to funnel a portion of the
$100 billion in funding earmarked for U.S. hospitals in the latest emergency
stimulus bill to cover providers’ costs of delivering COVID-19 care for the
uninsured.
But "covering only hospital costs for COVID-19 for people
who are uninsured is hardly a replacement for health insurance," says
Larry Levitt, the executive vice president for health policy at the Kaiser
Family Foundation.
"In general, I take the view that where possible, it's
better to get people comprehensive coverage," says Sabrina Corlette, a
research professor at the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute.
Ideally, she adds, the federal government would both allow a federal SEP for
HealthCare.gov and reimburse hospitals for uncompensated care related to
COVID-19.
On April 10, HHS released more details about the first round of
stimulus funding for hospitals, saying it partnered with UnitedHealth Group
"to provide rapid payment to providers eligible for the distribution of
the initial $30 billion in funds." HHS said it's working on
"additional targeted distributions" for particularly hard-hit
providers, adding that "this supplemental funding will also be used to
reimburse providers for COVID-19 care for uninsured Americans."
A recent analysis from the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated
that total payments to hospitals for treating uninsured patients under the
Trump administration's policy could range from $13.9 billion to $41.8 billion.
Both Levitt and Corlette point out that the administration's
plan doesn't appear to address bills that uninsured patients might receive from
physicians or other services rendered in the hospital, which typically arrive
separately from the hospital bill itself. Further, they note that uninsured
patients could face steep bills if they're treated for a condition that turns
out not to be COVID-19.
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