Dear colleagues:

We are writing to urge you to commit immediately to waiving all cost-sharing for patients, including all copayments, deductibles and coinsurance, for any and all care associated with preventing, diagnosing, and treating COVID-19 and its symptoms.

A few insurance companies have made such commitments to varying degrees and timeframes. This is a crucial first step. We urge you to fully commit to eliminating all patient cost-sharing for COVID-19 related medical expenses during this pandemic.
A third of Americans report that they or a family member avoided going to the doctor when sick or injured in the past year due to cost, meaning that many Americans put off care rather than risk medical debt and even bankruptcy just to get the care they need.

Forty percent of Americans do not have sufficient savings to pay for even a $400 emergency, and the average health insurance deductible is between $1800 and $6500 per year. Even once tests are widely available, high out-of-pocket costs mean that even if they test positive for COVID-19, they may not be able to afford necessary treatment, especially hospitalization.

Avoiding treatment due to cost could mean that some Americans wait until they are sicker before seeking treatment. Such delays will lead to needless suffering and potential deaths and might increase the expense of seeking care.

It would be a cruel irony to those you insure – and a public health disaster – if they find that, amid the worst pandemic our country has faced in 100 years, their insurance in fact does not afford them access to the care they need.

We strongly urge you, if you have not already, to waive all patient cost-sharing for coronavirus related treatment, and request that you reply with your up-to-date policy on cost-sharing for coronavirus-related treatment.