Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Rising to the moment COVID demands: How to insure all Americans in pandemic times

Isabel Ostrer and Chris Cai
Policy
April 30, 2020
Share
Tweet
Share

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented upheaval of the U.S. health care system. For decades the United States has stood out among peer nations as the only country with no universal health care system. And now we are learning just how problematic it is to tie insurance to employment — an unintended consequence of employer workarounds of World War II wage freezes. Nearly 29 million Americans lacked insurance before the start of the pandemic. An additional 13.5 million individuals are projected to lose their employer-sponsored insurance by June 30th, 2020. As soon-to-be physicians, we have witnessed firsthand the devastating effects that lack of insurance can have on health.

Congress is now faced with two bills to address the growing ranks of the uninsured. The first, The Worker Health Coverage Protection Act, only addresses newly unemployed Americans who previously got insurance through their jobs. The second, the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act, is much more comprehensive and calls for Medicare, the government program that traditionally covers adults 65 and older, to step in to cover medical costs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Worker Health Coverage Protection Act (WHCPA) expands coverage for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). COBRA is a program designed to allow people to stay on their employer-sponsored insurance in the event they lose their job. However, for many individuals, COBRA is prohibitively expensive; consumers must foot both their usual monthly health insurance premium and the amount their employer traditionally covers. According to a recent survey, the average family enrolled in employer-sponsored insurance pays roughly only 30 percent of their annual premium ($6,015 of the full $20,576). The average monthly COBRA premium would amount to $1,714, eroding a household’s entire federal stimulus check (up to $1,200 per adult, up to $500 per child) by month two.

WHCPA would alleviate the financial burden imposed by the loss of an employer’s health insurance subsidy, covering all premiums for 15 months. It would also cover the full cost of premiums for furloughed workers who are still responsible for these costs despite receiving lower or no wages. Notably, copayments would not be covered.

The second piece of legislation, the Health Care Emergency Guarantee Act, has a much wider scope. Unlike WHCPA, HCEGA addresses both uninsured and insured patients. All uninsured Americans would receive coverage through Medicare to cover the cost of medically necessary health care. Insured Americans, on the other hand, would receive coverage of copayments and deductibles but not premiums. The legislation has additional provisions to reduce Americans’ health care spending: (i) limit surprise billing for all patients, (ii) for the previously uninsured population, reduce prescription drug costs by setting drug reimbursement rates at typically lower Veteran Affairs rates, and (iii) waive enrollment penalties for Medicare-eligible seniors who did not enroll in the program at age 65.

The bill would assist 270 million non-elderly Americans, approximately 20 times more Americans than WHCPA. Assistance would last until a coronavirus vaccine is approved by the FDA.

As medical students, we know many patients who have suffered unnecessarily because they were uninsured or underinsured. We have seen patients avoid seeking medical care and ration medications due to fear of the sky-high costs. With new studies emerging almost daily telling us that those with uncontrolled diabetes, high blood pressure, and other underlying conditions are at much greater risk of contracting and dying from COVID-19, we cannot afford to let health needs go unaddressed during this pandemic.

While The Worker Health Coverage Protection Act is a step in the right direction, it offers support for only a subset of Americans — those lucky enough to already have insurance through a job. Many employees of shuttered businesses, including restaurants or convenience stores, have fewer than 20 employees and typically do not offer employer-sponsored insurance. Undocumented individuals are also notably left out of this legislation. There is a strong moral and economic argument for changing this, as undocumented immigrants subsidize both public and private insurance for native-born Americans. Moreover, undocumented workers form the foundation of many essential industries, particularly America’s food supply chain.

HCEGA is more expansive, offering financial support to all Americans with health care needs. It’s an ambitious bill aiming to meet the scale of the moment. A looming recession, projected to be far worse than the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-2009, means that many of the jobs lost to COVID-19 are unlikely to return soon. Despite the Affordable Care Act’s expansion of coverage in the years since the Global Financial Crisis, the majority of Americans declaring bankruptcy cited medical bills as a cause. A study conducted in 2008 found that nearly 70 percent of individuals declaring medical bankruptcy had insurance at the time of filing. Additionally, it would be a boon for the 35 percent of Americans who report skipping needed care because they could not afford their copayment.

To prevent further COVID-19 cases and even deaths, we need more comprehensive health coverage that immediately enables all people living in the U.S. to manage chronic conditions, access medications, and, if necessary, be treated for COVID-19.

Isabel Ostrer and Chris Cai are medical students.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com

Prev

The unsettling result of a negative coronavirus test

April 30, 2020 Kevin 1
…
Next

Public health requires a broader, longer-term assessment of the pandemic

April 30, 2020 Kevin 0
…

ADVERTISEMENT

Tagged as: COVID, Infectious Disease, Public Health & Policy

Post navigation

< Previous Post
The unsettling result of a negative coronavirus test
Next Post >
Public health requires a broader, longer-term assessment of the pandemic

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • The social determinants of health during the COVID-19 pandemic

    Heather Thompson Buum, MD
  • A response to unemployment during the COVID pandemic: Medicare for all   

    Mallika Sabharwal, MD
  • Malpractice claims from the COVID-19 pandemic: more questions than answers

    Robert E. White, Jr. & The Doctors Company
  • Why Department of Homeland Security leadership is vital for battling the COVID-19 pandemic

    Teshamae Monteith, MD
  • Medical education in the COVID-19 pandemic can’t be ignored

    Casey Hribar and Carolyn S. Quinsey, MD
  • The 2 calamities killing Americans: COVID-19 and racism

    Josyann Abisaab, MD

More in Policy

  • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

    Dave Cummings, RN
  • Healing the doctor-patient relationship by attacking administrative inefficiencies

    Allen Fredrickson
  • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    Trevor Lyford, MPH
  • The CDC’s restructuring: Where is the voice of health care in the room?

    Tarek Khrisat, MD
  • Choosing between care and country: a dual citizen’s Independence Day reflection

    Kathleen Muldoon, PhD
  • How fragmented records and poor tracking degrade patient outcomes

    Michael R. McGuire
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • How New Mexico became a malpractice lawsuit hotspot

      Patrick Hudson, MD | Physician
    • Why doctors are reclaiming control from burnout culture

      Maureen Gibbons, MD | Physician
    • Why health care leaders fail at execution—and how to fix it

      Dave Cummings, RN | Policy
    • How digital tools are reshaping the doctor-patient relationship

      Vineet Vishwanath | Tech
    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • Why are medical students turning away from primary care? [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • What the world must learn from the life and death of Hind Rajab

      Saba Qaiser, RN | Conditions
    • Why “do no harm” might be harming modern medicine

      Sabooh S. Mubbashar, MD | Physician
    • Here’s what providers really need in a modern EHR

      Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA | Tech
    • The hidden health risks in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

      Trevor Lyford, MPH | Policy
    • Why Medicaid cuts should alarm every doctor

      Ilan Shapiro, MD | Policy
  • Recent Posts

    • How President Biden’s cognitive health shapes political and legal trust

      Muhamad Aly Rifai, MD | Conditions
    • Decoding your medical bill: What those charges really mean

      Cheryl Spang | Finance
    • The emotional first responders of aesthetic medicine

      Sarah White, APRN | Conditions
    • Why testosterone matters more than you think in women’s health

      Andrea Caamano, MD | Conditions
    • A mind to guide the machine: Why physicians must help shape artificial intelligence in medicine

      Shanice Spence-Miller, MD | Tech
    • How subjective likability practices undermine Canada’s health workforce recruitment and retention

      Olumuyiwa Bamgbade, MD | Physician

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...