THURSDAY, April 23, 2020 (HealthDay News) — A plan to begin paying hospitals and doctors who treat uninsured COVID-19 patients was announced by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Wednesday.
Azar said hospitals and doctors would submit their bills for these patients directly to the government and be paid at Medicare rates, the Associated Press reported.
Azar did not say what the plan will cost but is confident it will fit within the $100 billion approved by Congress to provide relief for the nation’s health care system during the COVID-19 pandemic.
A recent estimate by the Kaiser Family Foundation said the cost of treating uninsured COVID-19 patients would be between $14 billion and $48 billion, the AP reported.
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