National health emergency declared over, ending use of some federal waivers

The COVID-19 national health emergency was declared over Monday evening as President Joe Biden signed a House bill that immediately ended the pandemic emergency that was first enacted by the Trump administration more than three years ago.

In January, the Biden administration informed Congress it would end the national public health emergency as well the public health emergency May 11. But soon after that announcement was made, the House put forth several bills to end both emergencies soon. Monday’s action by the president ended only the national emergency.

Ending the national emergency will end the use of some waivers for federal health programs meant to help health care providers during the height of the pandemic.

A White House official told CNN that ending the national emergency will not impact the planned wind-down of the public health emergency on May 11.

Once the public health emergency expires, the federal government will stop buying COVID-19 vaccines, and people with private insurance could have some out-of-pocket costs for vaccines, especially if they go to an out-of-network provider. Free at-home COVID tests will also come to an end. And hospitals will not get extra payments for treating COVID-19 patients.

Despite the May 11 date for ending the public health emergency, those who became eligible for Medicaid coverage as a result of pandemic-related legislation are still subject to disenrolling from coverage in April.

States that received extra Medicaid funding under a 2020 COVID-19 relief bill had to agree to pause beneficiaries’ eligibility verifications. The continuous enrollment in Medicare was set to end when the public emergency is over.

Under the $1.65 trillion federal spending bill approved by Congress in December, states were permitted to begin disenrolling people from Medicaid in April. Many of those who will lose coverage are likely to qualify for coverage under the Affordable Care Act, according to public-health officials and advocates.