Azar announces Medicare For All for COVID patients (yes, seriously)

[Recursion]

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/pharma-and-life-sciences/hospitals-cant-charge-uninsured-patients-treated-for-virus-azar

Hospitals and health-care providers that accept federal money provided through the $2 trillion coronavirus spending package aren’t allowed to bill uninsured patients treated for Covid-19, HHS leader Alex Azar said Friday.

The providers will be reimbursed at Medicare rates, Azar said, which will be carved out of a $100 billion slice of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act that Congress passed in March.

I'm kind of stunned. On the one hand, that's huge. On the other hand, that gives hospitals a financial incentive not to diagnose people as having Covid-19.

[eleny]

1. It almost makes me wonder if Azar has lost his mind

Surely this a decision made above his pay grade. But I'm tired enough to engage the fantasy that Azar took this step on his own. Cast his fate onto the quivering waters of the Trump administration in a "Why the fuck not?!" moment.

I'm eagerly awaiting the morning when dawn will break some light on this.

[renate]

2. Didn't Katie Porter (goddess) get Redfield to promise this under oath?

Of course, with this administration, being under oath is only so binding, but I give her at least as much credit as Azar for this.

Edit: I remembered her getting him to promise free treatment as well as testing, but now I can only find any news stories about her getting him to promise testing being covered. So... good for her for that, but credit where credit is due for him.

[Recursion]

4. I think she only got him to pinky-swear that testing would be free

Though, yeah, she did a frigging amazing job in that hearing.

Now, on the other hand, I trust anything coming out of this administration about as far as I can throw Donald's hairpiece.

[applegrove]

3. So many people had lost their jobs and healthcare that the whole thing was about to collapse.

This way they pay for only the coronavirus patients who have no insurance and they don't make Obamacare look good or other government programs like Tricare.

[mathematic]

5. Surely hospitals get more money from the medicare reimbursment rate than from the uninsured?

If so, then that would be a financial incentive to diagnose more people with it.

[Recursion]

6. They can get an enforcable claim against the uninsureds' estates at much higher rates

I'm thinking that's more attractive financially than a nebulous promise from this administration to pay at the much lower Medicare rates