WSJ | The Trump administration is considering using a national disaster
program to pay hospitals and doctors for their care of uninsured people
infected with the new coronavirus
as concerns rise over costs of treating some of the 27 million
Americans without health coverage, a person familiar with the
conversations said.
In natural disasters such as hurricanes, hospitals and medical
facilities can be reimbursed under a federal program that pays them
about 110% of Medicare rates for treating patients such as those
evacuated from hard-hit areas.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
Services has been in discussions about using that program to pay
providers who treat uninsured patients with coronavirus, the person
said.
Dr. Robert Kadlec, who is the assistant secretary for
preparedness and response at the Department of Health and Human
Services, said Tuesday at a congressional hearing that discussions are
being held about using the National Disaster Medical System
reimbursement program.
n 2018, 8.5% of people, or 27.5 million, didn’t have insurance at any point
during the year. It was an increase from 2017, when 7.9% of the
population, or 25.6 million, were uninsured, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau.
