Medicaid and Medicaid managed care programs are taking decisive action to protect Americans as the United States works to overcome the COVID-19 crisis.
COVID-19 is extremely contagious, putting millions at risk of infection. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says Americans 65+ and people with underlying health conditions are at high risk, reports show that nearly 40% of hospitalizations are people below age 55.
Everyone can play a role protecting each other. Medicaid and Medicaid managed care programs are working hard to defeat the disease, expand testing, and ensure access to care:
- Prescription drugs– Many health insurance providers will waive prescription refill limits on medications. This makes sure Americans have access to enough medication to address health conditions during this time.
- Virtual care services– To help limit the spread of COVID-19, health insurance providers are covering the cost of virtual care services. This allows Americans access to quality care services from home. Additionally, this eases the burden on the health system, allowing hospitals to care for people who need it most, while limiting the exposure of health care workers and patients to the disease.
- COVID-19 testing-Lastly, many health insurance providers are proactively eliminating patient cost sharing like waiving the cost of COVID-19 testing – and many are waiving the cost of COVID-19 treatment as well. That means no copays, no coinsurance, no deductibles.
Medicaid is the largest health care program in the country, covering about 1 in 5 Americans – including millions of children, older adults, people with disabilities, and 2 million veterans. With these protections and others Medicaid programs are reinforcing their essential safety net for millions of Americans when they need it.