NPR

Some Insurers Waive Patients' Share Of Costs For COVID-19 Treatment

Aetna, Cigna and Humana now say they will waive most treatment costs associated with COVID-19 that would normally be picked up by patients enrolled in their health plans. Will other firms follow suit?
Aetna was the first insurer to announce its plan to help shield patients with COVID-19 from high medical bills. But out-of-network charges and other surprise bills remain a risk, say advocates for patients.

Three major health insurance providers have now pledged to shield patients from high medical bills if they need treatment for COVID-19. Insurers Cigna and Humana announced Monday that they would waive consumer costs associated with COVID-19 treatment. Last week, CVS Health announced a more limited change — that Aetna would waive costs to patients for hospital admissions related to the coronavirus.

These announcements are a "big deal" says Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center. "That's — for most families — a lot more cash than they have sitting in their bank account," she says. "So that's really scary."

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