COLUMBUS, Ohio — The COVID-19 public health emergency is now over, increasing the costs of tests, vaccines and treatment for Ohioans who don't have insurance or are underinsured.
Case numbers, hospitalizations and deaths in Ohio have been declining since the start of the year and now the state is at some of the lowest levels since the pandemic began, Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, director of the Ohio Dept. of Health, said on Thursday.
However, he and other health officials warn that COVID-19 is still a public health concern.
"The lives of 40 to 50 Ohioans are still claimed by this virus every week," Vanderhoff added.
But the federal money to help combat it is drying up.
So what does this mean for patients?
"More out-of-pocket expenses," Case Western Reserve University medical law professor Sharona Hoffman said. "There are no more free COVID tests and your insurance may or may not cover them."
Along with no longer being able to get COVID tests mailed to you, treatments will also cost more money, and potentially vaccines as well down the line.
What would this look like?
Moderna announced that if health insurance companies won’t cover the COVID vaccine, it would cost $130 per dose. After facing scrutiny in Congress, the company said they would provide it free if a patient qualifies for their assistance program.
Luckily, Ohio has stockpiled vaccines and treatments, Vanderhoff said.
"The Ohio Department of Health has a sizable supply of vaccine that we can distribute to areas of the state that may need it," he added. "For now, vaccines will remain free for all."
Those won't last forever, making Hoffman fear for public safety.
"People simply will not test for COVID because it's not free anymore," she said. "We will have people in the community with COVID infecting others. They will not know that they should stay home."
It is unclear how long the supplies will last, so the health department is telling everyone over the age of 60 or those immunocompromised to stay up to date with the free vaccines and boosters while they can.
