Coronavirus Tests Are Now Free, but Treatment Could Still Cost You

People without insurance, or those enrolled in so-called junk plans that don’t meet the standards for insurance under the Affordable Care Act, should also be able to get tested at no cost, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation, which recently released an issue brief on private insurance coverage of coronavirus.

But could I still end up with bills to pay?

It’s possible, especially if you go somewhere that isn’t in your health plan’s network or undergo an array of unrelated tests. “There are still questions about the battery of testing people may receive and out-of-network testing,” said Cheryl Fish-Parcham, the director of access initiatives at Families USA, a consumer advocacy group.

You could also face sizable out-of-pocket costs if you have something that looks like coronavirus, like the garden-variety flu, but isn’t. While New Mexico is requiring insurers to cover the testing for flu and pneumonia, so far it’s an exception.

What if I need hospital care?

President Trump told the nation earlier this month that health insurers had “agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments, extend insurance coverage to these treatments, and to prevent surprise medical billings,” but he misspoke. Your health plan is generally going to view treatment for Covid-19 like the treatment for any other illness, just as if you developed a bad pneumonia or have a chronic condition like diabetes.

“Treatment is still a gigantic problem,” said Ms. Fish-Parcham, who said federal lawmakers were talking about another wave of legislation that could potentially address the cost-sharing.

The federal government has made it easier for people in certain high deductible plans. The Internal Revenue Service recently allowed people in those plans to have coronavirus testing and treatment covered by the plan before they meet their deductibles.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/19/health/coronavirus-tests-bills.html