Implications of Ending The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency

What The End Of The Covid-19 Public Health Emergency Will Mean for Older Adults

by Howard Gleckman, senior fellow at the Urban Institute and immediate past president of JCA

President Biden’s announcement that the Covid-19 public health emergency (PHE) will end on May 11 will have a significant impact on older adults. Some changes will be immediate, others won’t occur for nearly two years. Some may improve care for older adults, others could cost seniors more money and end some important benefits they received during the pandemic.

Biden’s decision buys a few more months under the emergency. Hill Republicans had been pressuring the Administration to end the PHE even sooner.

The most immediate loss will be the return of the so-called three-day rule. The most far-reaching could be sharp reductions in Medicare payments for telehealth services and loss of Medicaid benefits for many.

Read the full article on Howard’s website.

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