How will the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency impact my life?
BOSTON - On May 11, both the federal and Massachusetts COVID-19 Public Health Emergencies will end. In addition - but separately - so will vaccine mandates for government employees. The public health emergencies guaranteed funding for certain pandemic programs and allowed politicians to make mandatory guidelines.
WBZ wanted to learn how the end of the pandemic emergency would affect the average person. Here are the answers.
Will my insurance still cover the cost of COVID-19 tests?
It depends. Most major health insurance companies have said they will no longer reimburse customers for at-home COVID-19 tests purchased at a pharmacy but will pay for tests administered by a doctor.
Will I still have to stay home for 5 days if I test positive?
Still yes. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health requires 5 days of isolation following a positive COVID-19 test. Your employer, however, is not required to pay you for all of your time missed. You should be allowed to use accrued sick days.
Will I stay covered by MassHealth insurance?
Possibly no. The public health emergency required the state to keep everyone who was already enrolled on MassHealth, the state's version of Medicaid. However, that will no longer be the case. An estimated 300,000 people statewide will lose coverage if they don't renew.
"We are extremely concerned for people that if they don't sign up or take it seriously and check if they still have that if they're eligible or not, that they will lose their coverage," explained Gladys Vega who runs La Colaborativa out of Chelsea.
She is going door-to-door to encourage people to check with the state to make sure they're covered. "People are not aware of it; they actually think that it's not true... That it cannot happen, and I think people got used to having all of these resources and now everything is ending," she said.
Will I still have to wear a mask at the doctor's office?
Probably not. Most doctors' offices, nursing homes, hospitals, and more have dropped their mask mandates. Many will still give patients the option to wear a mask and ask a provider to wear a mask.
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