The Covid emergency in the U.S. ends May 11. HHS officials say here’s what to expect

• People with private health insurance may have to pay for both over-the-counter and lab COVID tests, depending on their plan.
• Seniors with Medicare Part B will begin paying for over-the-counter tests, although the program will cover laboratory tests.
• Hospitals will lack the flexibility to expand capacity in response to growth.
• The federal government may no longer require laboratories to report COVID test results to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

• Covid vaccines like Paxlovid and antivirals will be free to everyone regardless of insurance status until the current federal stockpile is exhausted.
• Expanded telehealth through Medicare will also remain in place through December 2024 under a federal spending law passed in December. But after that it will expire without the intervention of the Congress.

The Food and Drug Administration will still have the authority to rapidly authorize COVID vaccines, tests and treatments through its separate emergency powers.

Millions of people are also at risk of losing health insurance through Medicaid this year as federal protections that covered people during the pandemic expire. These protections were once linked to public health emergencies, but Congress decided to phase them out separately.

In short, states can begin removing people from Medicaid as early as April if they don’t meet eligibility requirements for the public health insurance program. HHS plans to open a special enrollment period so these individuals can apply for coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

Although COVID vaccines and treatments will be free for everyone after the public health emergency ends, that could change for uninsured adults when federal reserves run out.

The Biden administration plans to stop buying vaccines and treatments for the public as early as this fall because Congress hasn’t appropriated additional money. When the federal government steps down, vaccines and treatments will be purchased and distributed through the private market.

This means that Pfizer and Moderna will sell the shots directly to health care providers, and whether you pay will depend on whether you’re insured.

People with insurance through the Affordable Care Act and Medicare will still get the shots for free. Medicaid recipients will get the vaccines for free until September 2024, after which coverage will vary from state to state.

Adults who don’t have insurance will have to pay for the shots if the stockpile runs out, though the White House has said it is developing a plan to help them.