On January 31, 2020, the United States declared a state of public health emergency. On March 13 of the same year, then-President Trump once again issued a decree declaring the United States to enter a state of national emergency. During the extraordinary period of the state of emergency, the U.S. Congress passed a series of bills to protect medical care and people's livelihood. In April 2020, the "Family First New Coronary Response Act" came into effect, and the public can take a free test for the new crown, and corporate employees get 14 days of paid sick leave. In addition, the government has also provided strong support to various medical institutions, and hospitals that treat patients with new crowns can obtain more disposable funds.
When the state of emergency ends, it also means that these protective regulations, free medical care and bailout measures will become invalid one by one. "People are going to notice pretty quickly that they're paying for things that were free during the state of emergency," said Jen Kate, director of the Kaiser Family Foundation, a U.S. nonprofit focused on health care issues.
According to a CNN report, the vast majority of American citizens are currently members of Medicare, Medicaid, or other private health insurance programs, and they can basically enjoy free nucleic acid testing and treatment during the state of emergency. Once the state of emergency in the United States is over, most Medicare participants will need to pay for new crown treatment, home testing and other items. Millions of poor families will also lose government subsidies for nutritious meals.
In addition, once the government stops vaccine procurement, the price of such products will soar rapidly. Pfizer and Moderna have announced that the commercial price of their new crown vaccine may be between US$82 and US$130 per dose, about 3 to 4 times the price paid by the government.
The "New York Times" reported that in the past three years, the new crown virus has gradually stopped subverting people's daily life, and some people have gained certain protection against the virus through vaccination and infection. Many U.S. officials believe that the epidemic has entered a new, less dire stage.
But the end of the state of emergency will bring a series of complex situations, and the US government's response to the epidemic will enter a new stage. The U.S. Office of Management and Budget specifically emphasized that the sudden termination of the national emergency will only plunge the medical system into "widespread chaos and uncertainty," which will affect state hospitals and tens of millions of Americans. .
The White House stated on January 30 that the United States needs an orderly transition and hopes to maintain the state of emergency for a few more months, so that hospitals and health departments can prepare for a series of changes after the end of the state of emergency.