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‘An Arm And A Leg’: Am I Protected If I Need COVID-19 Care?

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A lot of insurance companies have said they’ll waive copayments and deductibles for COVID-19 care — as long as patients receive “in-network” care. But a lot of people have insurance policies with very limited networks.

A podcast listener in Minnesota with a bronze-tier health plan and a $6,000 deductible wrote in wondering: What if I get sent to a place that my insurance doesn’t cover? What then?

We put her question to one of the country’s top health insurance nerds: Sabrina Corlette, founder and co-director of Georgetown University’s Center on Health Insurance Reforms.

Corlette offered her interpretation of the rescue legislation Congress passed in March, which included some money for hospitals. Some patients may avoid surprise medical bills, but it’s not totally clear if we will be “100% protected.”

“An Arm and a Leg” is a co-production of Kaiser Health News and Public Road Productions.

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KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.

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