On May 11, the U.S. COVID-19 public health emergency expires. A separate national emergency was also set to expire, but was rescinded early by President Biden.
Local public health emergencies in California and Los Angeles County have already been rolled back.
What changes when the public health emergency ends?
Congress has denied the Biden administration’s requests to fund more COVID tests and vaccines, so the portion that affects most Americans has already been curtailed. When existing supplies already paid for with federal dollars run out they will not be replaced.
Treatments and vaccines still free
If you test positive for COVID after May 11, you’ll still be able to get free treatments such as Paxlovid as long as the federal government’s supply lasts. After that, it depends on which state you live in.
Most health plans in California will continue to cover treatments until Nov. 11 (more on that below) while those with Medicare will face out of pocket costs, depending on their health plan. How much you’ll pay for antivirals will depend on what type of health insurance coverage you have.
COVID vaccines will still be free. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older receive the bivalent vaccine, which protects against circulating omicron variants. People 65 and older and those with compromised immune systems can get a second dose.
Why California is different
State lawmakers effectively added six months to the federal public health emergency. That means health plans regulated by the California Department of Managed Health Care are required to continue to pay for COVID…
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