in other countries. In the past, those surges abroad have always occurred before new cases rise again here in the United States, including Texas, which has more uninsured residents than any other state.in time to continue reimbursing providers means that hospitals, clinics, private practices and others that don’t get public health funding from the state will have to “eat the cost” if they don’t charge for COVID-related services, Scoggin said.
In Texas, providers have received some $1.8 billion for the treatment of uninsured COVID-19 patients, according to theTexas has the nation’s lowest rate of insurance coverage and is one of 11 states that have chosen not to expand Medicaid coverage to include more adults living in poverty.
An attempt by the White House to add billions more to the program has become a casualty of political arguments in Washington over the use of tax dollars to respond to the pandemic.Health care experts say that the impact of that could include fewer independent or private providers offering some of the services they could previously have been reimbursed for, which could reduce access to care in underserved areas.
“Hospitals that provide essential community health services have disproportionately treated uninsured COVID patients during previous surges of the virus and will be on the front lines not only of any … future spikes in cases and hospitalizations, but also community testing since most communities have shut down their testing sites,” read a recent statement from the Teaching Hospitals of Texas, urging Congress to fund the program again.