As national COVID-19 emergency response officially ends, assistance and programming locally will also end

Mike Wolanin | The Republic Clinical Pharmacy Coordinator Chris Soedel shows the COVID-19 vaccine sticker she handed out to people who received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at a Columbus Regional Health facility in Columbus, Ind., Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020.

COLUMBUS, Ind. — Local health officials said that the formal end of the national COVID-19 public health emergency is a symbolic step representing the community’s emergence from the pandemic but also means that several aspects of the pandemic response are coming to an end.

The national emergency, which expired on Thursday, allowed officials across the United States, including in Bartholomew County, to mobilize and sustain a sweeping response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That response included extra food assistance, automatic re-enrollment in Medicaid and free testing, among other efforts. While some of those programs have already ended, some are still being phased out.

The public health emergency was initially declared on Jan. 31, 2020.

“The end of the public health emergency will initiate the wind down of most COVID-specific programs,” said Bartholomew County Health Officer Dr. Brian Niedbalski, who also is a Columbus Regional Health physician.

Locally, that means that CRH will no longer offer self-referred COVID-19 testing, Niedbalski said. Patients will instead need an order from their provider.

Additionally, Medicare and private insurers are no longer required to cover the expense of COVID-19 testing, including the popular at-home tests. Depending on a patient’s insurance, they may owe a co-pay or deductible.

Medications to treat COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, will remain available for free while supplies last. After that, prices will be determined by drugmakers and insurance companies.

COVID-19 vaccines, however, will continue to be available for free, at least for now. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services says it “remains committed to maximizing continued access to COVID-19 vaccines.”

“Once the federal government is no longer purchasing or distributing COVID-19 vaccines and treatments, then payment, coverage and access may change,” Niedbalski said.

For the complete story, see Saturday’s Republic.