WI Health Officials Expect Changes As Federal COVID-19 Emergency Ends

WISCONSIN — As federal officials expect their health emergency declaration for the coronavirus pandemic to sunset in May, health officials in Wisconsin said they are shifting the state's response to the virus, but warned that it remains a threat to health.

In a news release Wednesday, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services detailed possible changes in the Badger State as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services health emergency ends. The changes come as Wisconsin is seeing "significantly lower" cases, hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19 compared to the surges in late 2021 and early 2021, the DHS said.

Wisconsinites can expect possible changes to some programs, with the most significant to testing, according to the DHS release. When the public health emergency expires, many currently free programs may fall back to insurance or out-of-pocket payments, the news release noted. Other programs may remain unaffected.

Access to vaccines will largely remain the same as long as the federal stock lasts, after which people may have to use their insurance, the DHS said. The HHS plans to offer a "bridge access" program for people who are uninsured to access vaccines and treatment, which will maintain free access to the vaccines even after the federal supply is gone, the DHS said.

Meanwhile, several state-supported testing programs in Wisconsin are winding down and people might expect to be paying more for at-home tests down the road considering insurance, according to the DHS release.

Most insured people will still have coverage for tests, though some lab tests may no longer be free for people who are uninsured and may cost a co-pay for those who are insured, the DHS said.

Doses of antiviral treatments like Paxlovid and Lagevrio will remain free as the federal stock lasts, similar to the vaccines, the DHS said. The HHS said access to the treatments will be generally unaffected.

Wisconsin will continue to offer COVID-19 treatment telehealth service until the end of 2023. The HHS said major Medicare and Medicaid telehealth flexibilities will not be affected.

“The declaration of a public health emergency helped support Wisconsin’s efforts to combat COVID-19 with resources that saved lives statewide,” said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson in the release. “As the federal public health emergency declaration nears its end, DHS will continue to shift our COVID-19 response operations. However, it is critical that Wisconsinites know this does not mean COVID-19 has gone away. The virus remains a threat to health, and we must continue to care for ourselves and each other.”

Amid the wind-down of the federal health emergency, the DHS gave some recommendations to keep yourself safe from COVID-19:

• Stay up to date on recommended COVID-19 vaccinations for the best protection.
  • People ages 65 and older and those who are immunocompromised now have the option to receive an additional updated or bivalent COVID-19 vaccine dose(s), following recent approvals from the FDA and CDC.
• Know the level of COVID-19 in your community and follow appropriate guidance, including masking in public places, when levels are high.
• Know the symptoms, get tested, and stay home if you’re sick.
• Seek treatment as soon as you develop symptoms.

State health officials said they will continue to monitor levels of the virus in the state through the Public Health Bureau of Communicable Disease, which also monitors influenza, RSV and other respiratory diseases.

Nearly 62 percent of Wisconinites, around 3.6 million, have completed the primary COVID-19 vaccine series while around 20.6 percent received the updated booster, the DHS said.

Find more information about changes to COVID-19 services in Wisconsin at the Department of Health Services website.