May 11, 2023:
On March 13, 2020, the U.S. federal government declared COVID-19 a national emergency. This declaration enabled several policy changes including mandated COVID-19 data collection, establishing various public assistance programs, and enacting Title 42. Public law 118-3, approved on April 10, 2023, terminated the national emergency declaration (GPO). May 11, 2023, was established as the official end date for the federal COVID-19 public health emergency declaration, leading to the end of some of the aforementioned policy changes. In addition to the end of Title 42, which denied immigrants entry into the country as a public health regulation (AP), FEMA’s public assistance program for work related to COVID-19 has also ended. FEMA has stated that assistance for “demobilization, disposition, and disposal activities” will remain active for an additional 90 days, meaning no FEMA-provided public assistance funding will be allotted for any COVID-19-related activities after August 9, 2023 (FEMA).
At-home COVID-19 tests will also no longer be provided to everyone free of charge and each person will have to consult their individual insurance coverage for current costs. However, COVID-19 vaccines will remain available and treatments for “severe COVID-19, such as Paxlovid, will remain […] free while supplies last (CDC).” Most Medicare telehealth will also remain available until December 2024. Regarding data collection, COVID-19 lab results and immunization information will no longer be required from testing labs (HHS). That being said, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will continue to provide regional-level test data from the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System and COVID-19 deaths based on data from the National Vital Statistics System. In addition to this, Hospitals will still be required to provide COVID-19 admission data until April 30, 2024 (CDC).
Impact:
- Over 1 million deaths in the United States
- $4.4 trillion federal dollars allocated to relief since March 13, 2020
- Over 200 regulatory waivers permitted since March 13, 2020
Related Resources:
- Executive Order 13944: Combating Public Health Emergencies and Strengthening National Security by Ensuring Essential Medicines, Medical Countermeasures, and Critical Inputs Are Made in the United States
- Federal Telehealth Flexibilities in Private Health Insurance During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency: In Brief [February 14, 2023]
- Effects of Terminating the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) PHE and NEA Declarations [Updated April 11, 2023]
- COVID-Related Restrictions on Entry into the United States Under Title 42: Litigation and Legal Considerations [Updated March 13, 2023]
- HSDL COVID-19 Resource Archive
- HSDL In Focus: COVID-19 Journal Resources | Disaster Economics | Pandemics and Epidemics
- HSDL Search: Public Health Emergency | Disaster Response | COVID-19