State Actions to Address Rise in Coronavirus Cases
State Actions to Address Rise in Coronavirus Cases
On March 13, 2020, President Trump declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus in an effort to enhance the federal government’s response to the pandemic. At that time, a number of states had already declared some type of emergency, and by March 16, 2020, every state had made an emergency declaration, with most taking the form of a State of Emergency or a Public Health Emergency.
Such emergency declarations allow governors to exercise emergency powers that may include activating state emergency personnel and funds, supporting the needs of local governments, protecting consumers against price gouging, and adjusting regulations to maximize access to health care. States, especially those hit hardest by the outbreak, took additional actions to slow the spread of the virus. These social distancing measures included mandatory stay at home orders, closures of non-essential businesses, bans on large gatherings, school closures, and limits on bars and restaurants and other public places. The authority of governors to issue such mandates may vary by state.
Since imposing social distancing requirements, some states very quickly rolled back measures, while others reopened more cautiously. As COVID-19 cases surged this summer and continue to increase in some areas, some states have reimposed certain restrictions, particularly limits on large gatherings and bars and restaurants as well as travel restrictions.
With COVID cases continuing to rise, four states have paused their status of reopening- Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and North Carolina. Twenty states are proceeding with reopening and resuming all activities, with Ohio being one of those states. Six states- Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota have reopened completely having lifted all stay at home orders, mandatory quarantine for travelers, large gatherings bans, and restaurant limits. Meanwhile Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts and Texas are imposing new restrictions on schools, businesses and social gatherings, responding to the fall surge in coronavirus infections and hospitalizations that threatens much of the country with a health emergency resembling what struck the Northeast in the spring.
State Data and Policy Actions to Address Coronavirus
With enactment of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act on March 18, 2020, the federal government took action to ensure access to COVID-19 testing. The legislation requires Medicare, Medicaid, all group health plans, and individual health insurance policies to cover testing and associated visits related to the diagnosis of COVID-19 with no cost sharing and prohibits plans from imposing prior authorization requirements on these services during the federally-declared emergency period. In addition, the new law gives states the option to provide Medicaid coverage of COVID-19 testing for uninsured residents with 100% federal financing.
Many states have also implemented policies to increase access to COVID-19 testing and treatment, as well as continued management of other health conditions. Some states have already indicated that they are requiring insurers to cover a COVID-19 vaccination with no cost-sharing if and when one becomes available, while others are requiring state-certified insurance carriers to waive patient cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment, as well as treatment for other related conditions, including pneumonia and the flu.
States have also announced other actions, including extending special enrollment periods in state-based health insurance marketplaces, facilitating early prescription drug refills, and relaxing prior authorization and utilization review processes. A number of states have responded to the pandemic by expanding access to telehealth services as well, with detailed actions captured in the telehealth-specific table below. In addition, states are requesting approval for Section 1135 waivers that permit them to waive or modify certain Medicare, Medicaid, CHIP, and HIPAA requirements during a national emergency.
Finally, while the new federal law creates a federal emergency paid sick leave program through December 2020, a number of states have enacted mandatory sick leave policies that will fill in gaps in the new federal emergency leave, while others are proposing to adopt these policies in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Ohio thus far has not waived cost sharing for COVID-19 treatment or required waiver of prior authorization requirements for COVID-19 testing and treatment. Ohio has however
** The information above was compiled by KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is a non-profit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy.