The COVID-19 National Emergency Has Ended

On March 29th, 2023, after three years, Present Joe Biden signed H.J. Res. 7, a resolution to end the national COVID-19 emergency. The national emergency allowed the government to take sweeping steps to respond to COVID-19 and support the country’s economic, health, and welfare systems. While signing this bill immediately ends the COVID-19 national emergency, the public health emergency (PHE) remains in effect.

The PHE will end on May 11th, 2023. Currently, the PHE mandates that health insurance plans fully cover COVID-19 testing without employee cost-sharing on both an in and out-of-network basis. Once this emergency ends, medical plans, including employer-sponsored plans, will not be required to pay for testing and will have to determine how to move forward.

What This Means

The national emergency ends provisions allowing an extended time for special enrollment in plans due to life events such as losing coverage, getting married, or having children. The national emergency gave individuals with a qualifying life event up to a year to enroll compared to individuals typically having 30 days to enroll.

As a business owner, it’s essential that you’re aware of the impact this has on your business. When you partner with GMS, you gain access to HR experts who ensure you remain compliant. We work with you to update policies, whether in your handbook or educating your employees on the changes that will take place. Interested in learning what else we can help you with? Contact us today.