Citing evidence that COVID-19 cases could soon rebound in the United States, physicians are calling on Congress to pass new pandemic funding legislation. The alternative, they say, is to risk leaving patients without access to needed vaccines, treatments and testing.
SARS-CoV-2 levels are increasing in U.S. wastewater surveillance sites, a measure of virus activity. And infections and hospitalizations are rising in some European countries, an event that has previously foreshadowed upticks in U.S. COVID-19 activity. In addition, a highly transmissible subvariant of omicron, BA.2, now makes up nearly a quarter of new U.S. cases, according to federal health officials.
But lawmakers removed a White House request for $22.5 billion in emergency pandemic-related support from a funding bill that passed last week. The result could be dwindling supplies of COVID-19 vaccines and monoclonal antibody therapies, a decline in testing and discontinued COVID-19 surveillance efforts, the American College of Physicians said in a letter sent Wednesday to congressional leadership.
Claims coverage an ‘urgent issue’
Certain pandemic claims coverage also is in jeopardy, the organization added.
“A particularly urgent issue is that physicians may not be able to submit claims for the testing, treatment, and vaccination of their uninsured patients as soon as March 22nd, leaving some of the most vulnerable patients at greater risk and putting additional burden on safety net clinicians,” the ACP wrote.
These consequences could be avoided if lawmakers quickly pass the COVID Supplemental Appropriations Act containing $10.6 billion for the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, it said.
“We urge both the House and Senate to quickly pass this legislation to avoid any gap in access to these critical services for our patients and avoid any surge of COVID due to a lack of resources,” George M. Abraham, M.D., president of ACP, said.
The White House, too, has been pushing Congress to support new funding.
“Waiting to provide funding until we’re in a worse spot with the virus will be too late,” White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told reporters, according to Reuters. “We need funding now so we’re prepared for whatever comes.”
Protection from omicron
Some experts predict a small resurgence of COVID-19 cases, while others expect the current decline in cases to simply slow down, according to Stat. But a hit to vaccine supplies could quickly become a problem, the medical news outlet reported.
Although U.S. immunity to SARS-CoV-2 is high due to the number of Americans who are vaccinated and/or have been infected, reduced access to booster doses could put the most vulnerable at risk, according to experts. Booster shots are key to “protecting older people or people with underlying health conditions from a virus as evolved as omicron,” Stat reported.
