In a prime-time televised address so filled with blatant errors that fact-checkers and the White House struggled to keep up and correct the record, President Donald Trump Wednesday night claimed that major U.S. insurance companies “have agreed to waive all copayments for coronavirus treatments” as the disease rapidly spreads across the nation.
A spokesperson for America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a major insurance industry lobbying group, was quick to clarify that, actually, companies are only waiving copays for “testing.” For those who test positive for COVID-19, any treatment will still come at a (potentially massive) cost.
“For testing. Not for treatment,” the AHIP spokesperson told Politico healthcare reporter Sarah Owermohle after Trump delivered his prepared remarks, which included a muddled declaration of a temporary travel ban from much of Europe, sparking widespread confusion and sending markets into an even deeper tailspin.
A White House official also stepped in to correct Trump’s claim that insurance companies agreed to waive copays for coronavirus treatment after meeting with the president at the White House on Tuesday.
The anonymous official told CNN’s Jim Acosta that Trump, who read his remarks off a teleprompter, meant to say that insurance companies “have agreed to waive all copays on coronavirus testing.”
“Heaven forbid they miss a chance to bankrupt sick people,” tweeted Lori Kearns, legislative director for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), the most prominent champion of a policy that would entirely eliminate insurance copays, premiums, and deductibles.
Private health insurer: "Yes, you may have a #coronavirus test without meeting your deductible or paying a co-pay."
Patient: "Ugh, I have the virus!"
Private health insurer: "Good luck with your $8,150 deductible and $1,200 ER co-pay, sucker!" https://t.co/6D0xfptbaE
— Medicare for All (@AllOnMedicare) March 12, 2020
https://twitter.com/KimforSC/status/1237940062828068864
The coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. has thrown into sharp relief the systemic flaws at the heart of America’s profit-driven healthcare system, which has left around 30 million people entirely without insurance and tens of millions more with inadequate coverage. As Common Dreams reported, some have been hit thousands of dollars in surprise medical bills after seeking coronavirus testing.
“The national healthcare system is of course the most important tool for any country trying to fight off an epidemic — all citizens need to be able to get tested, receive treatment, or be quarantined if necessary,” wrote The Week’s Ryan Cooper in a column last week. “If and when a vaccine is developed, the system needs to distribute it to everyone as fast as possible. That means handing it out for free in locations across the country, and perhaps making it mandatory if uptake is insufficient.”
“The American healthcare system fails at every one of these tasks,” Cooper added.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), a supporter of Medicare for All, suggested in a tweet Wednesday night that — among other measures — the U.S. government should extend Medicare or Medicaid coverage to everyone in the U.S. amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has hit at least 34 states and killed more than 30 people.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
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In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
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Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
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