End of PHE – May 11, 2023

Dear Residents and Families:

The Biden administration declared May 11, 2023, as the formal ending of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), COVID-19 is no longer a global health emergency. While the virus continues to spread and evolve, it remains a global health risk at a lower level of concern, according to WHO officials.

With these official updates, please note the following pertinent information:

• Access to COVID-19 vaccinations and certain treatments, such as Paxlovid, will generally not be affected. 
• Americans will continue to pay nothing out-of-pocket for the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices are a preventive health service for most private insurance plans and will be fully covered without a co-pay.
  • Currently, COVID-19 vaccinations are covered under Medicare Part B without cost sharing, and this will continue.
• Qualifying Hospital Stay (Three-Day Stay) A waiver of the requirement for a three-day inpatient hospital stay to qualify for Medicare A coverage of skilled nursing facility services allowed beneficiaries to admit directly to the nursing home for skilled care without a hospital stay, provided the individual met all other criteria to qualify for skilled nursing facility care. This waiver will terminate with the expiration of the PHE.
• Coverage for COVID-19 testing for Americans will change. Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Part B will continue to have coverage without cost sharing for laboratory-conducted COVID-19 tests when ordered by a provider, but their current access to free over the counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests will end.
• The requirement for private insurance companies to cover COVID-19 tests without cost sharing, both for over the counter and laboratory tests, will end. However, coverage may continue if plans choose to continue including it.
• Long-Term Care facilities (Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing) are required to follow accepted standards for infection prevention and control and will be subject to following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations under infection control requirements, including CDC recommendations on mitigation strategies.

We appreciate your diligence and commitment to protecting the health and safety of our fellow Presbyterian Village North (PVN) residents and teammates throughout the global pandemic. If you have questions regarding these updates or the end of the PHE, please contact me.

Sincerely,
Kim Cook
Corporate Director of Health Services