Van Hollen, Murphy, Senate Democrats to Major Health Insurers: Fully Cover Testing, Treatment for COVID-19 Without Cost-Sharing Requirements

Statement

U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen joined Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and 15 Senate Democrats on Thursday in calling on the health insurance companies to remove barriers to care for Americans who find themselves diagnosed with COVID-19. In a letter to CEOs for Kaiser Permanente, Aetna, Humana, Cigna Corporation, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Anthem, and UnitedHealth Group, the senators specifically asked the insurers to cover all COVID-19 related treatment and services without cost sharing requirements and allowing Americans to get tested, assessed and treated without the fear of unexpected medical bills

"Our nation cannot effectively combat the growing 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis if Americans cannot afford to seek treatment when they experience serious symptoms and health complications connected to the virus," the senators wrote.

The senators continued: "We ask today that you suspend all cost sharing requirements connected with treatments for COVID-19 and associated health complications. The waiver of cost sharing should extend to emergency department care, virtual care and telehealth visits, health center and urgent care settings, and 90-day refills of prescription medications. With the U.S. lagging in testing potential cases of COVID-19, the last thing we need is for people to be scared off from seeing their provider or seeking treatment because of the cost."

The letter was also signed by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Tom Udall (D-N.M.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), and Bob Casey (D-Pa.)