In a letter to major U.S. health insurers today, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, along with 17 other senators, asked to suspend all cost-sharing requirements for coronavirus treatments.
"Our nation cannot effectively combat the growing 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis if Americans cannot afford to seek treatment," the senators said in the letter.
The letter was addressed to the CEOs of Kaiser Permanente, Aetna, Anthem, Humana, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and UnitedHealth.
The waiver, the senators recommended would include:
- Emergency department care
- Virtual care and telehealth
- Health and urgent care center costs
- 90-day prescription refills
The U.S. currently has more than 15,000 coronavirus cases according to the CDC. With the numbers growing daily, the senators expressed concerns for Americans avoiding care because of the costs, and further spreading the virus.
"The last thing we need," the letter states, "is for people to be scared off from seeing their provider or seeking treatment because of the cost."
The full text of the letter can be read here.
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