Insurers' COVID-19 waivers to expire in coming months

While most private health insurers moved to waive member cost-sharing for COVID-19 testing and treatment, many of those waivers are expiring in coming months.

The Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker found across individual and fully insured group plans, 88 percent of members had a plan that waived out-of-pocket costs for COVID-19 at some point during the pandemic. But only 52 percent of enrollees are in plans that have cost-sharing waivers that extend into October and beyond. 

The tracker used data compiled by America's Health Insurance Plans and Mark Farrah Associates to estimate how many enrollees were in plans that waived cost-sharing for COVID-19 treatment. The tracker didn't include data from enrollees who had self-insured plans through their employers. 

The tracker found 20 percent of enrollees are in plans that already have expired waivers. Another 16 percent of enrollees are in plans that have waivers that are set to expire by the end of September. 

Some plans have extended their expiration dates, while others may choose to do so as their deadline approaches. 

To read the full Peterson-KFF brief, click here.

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