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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  March 6, 2020
FOR MORE INFORMATION:   Jeff Van Ness, 202-460-5333; jvanness@communityplans.net

ACAP STATEMENT ON COVERAGE FOR COVID-19

WASHINGTON—Margaret A. Murray, CEO of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans, today issued the following statement on coverage of testing for COVID-19, or coronavirus:

“Coronavirus is a serious threat. All of us at ACAP and ACAP-member plans are monitoring developments closely and sharing information with one another as it comes in.

“We are committed to an effective response to COVID-19. While there’s still more we don’t know than we know, we can and have taken common-sense first steps to address this public health crisis.

“Accordingly, all 74 ACAP-member Safety Net Health Plans and Marketplace Partners will offer coverage for appropriate tests of COVID-19 consistent with FDA guidance ordered by their members’ health care provider.

“We will work closely with our providers, state and local health authorities, and others to slow the spread of coronavirus and mitigate the threat that COVID-19 poses to our members and our communities.

“Our plans will also work with Federal and state policymakers to take steps to assure that this disease can’t spread on the back of worries about payment.

“And given that health coverage powerfully influences the ability of patients to seek appropriate care, we will continue to advocate for policies which promote comprehensive health coverage for people with low incomes, especially the rescission of the ‘public charge’ rule and the rule allowing for inadequate short-term limited-duration plans that are unlikely to provide comprehensive coverage for COVID-19, as well as promoting laws that would mandate for 12-month continuous enrollment in Medicaid.

“We applaud the appropriation that Congress has recently passed in a bipartisan, bicameral way, which will provide meaningful resources to fight COVID-19. This is a time for all of us to pull together; we are grateful for the efforts of state and Federal authorities to coordinate with us and our member plans across the Medicaid, Medicare and Marketplace lines of business, and look forward to continuing collaboration and close communication with them to confront this threat.”

About ACAP
ACAP represents 74 Safety Net Health Plans, which collectively serve more than 20 million people. ACAP-member Safety Net Health Plans and partners serve their communities through Medicaid, Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and other public health programs. For more information, visit www.communityplans.net.

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