Local leaders push for insurance providers to cover all COVID-19 tests

Several insurers do not cover asymptomatic tests used for going back to work or school.

ADDED TO THE LIST.MUCH OF THE STATE'SRE-OPENING PLANHINGES ON TESTING...AND TONIGHT,LOCAL LEADERS AREFURIOUS OVER ADECISION BY THREEHEALTH CAREPROVIDERS TO NOLONGER PROVIDEEVERYONE WITH AFREE COVID-19 TEST.BUT AS GILATMELAMED TELLS US..YOU CAN STILL FIND APLACE TO GET TESTEDAT NO CHARGE...COLENE MELSON IS ATEACHER.PART OF THIS YEAR'SBACK TO SCHOOLPREP IS A COVID-19TEST."I'M STARTING TO GETSCARED ABOUT THEASYMPTOMATICPATIENTS."MELSON'S INSURANCECOMPANY IS ONE OFSEVERAL THAT IS NOLONGER PICKING UPTHE BILL FORASYMPTOMATICTESTS... THISINCLUDES TESTSNEEDED TO GO BACKTO SCHOOL OR WORK."I THINK IT'SRIDICULOUS THEINSURANCECOMPANIES ARE NOTPAYING."ON MONDAY ERIECOUNTY EXECUTIVEMARK POLONCARZAND ERIE COUNTYHEALTHCOMMISSIONER DR.GALE BURSTEIN SENTTHIS LETTER TO THECEOS OF BLUE CROSSBLUE SHIELD, UNIVERAHEALTHCARE, ANDINDEPENDENTHEALTH.THEY'RE URGING THEPROVIDERS TOREVERSE COURSEAND COVER ALLCORONAVIRUSTESTS... TO HELPCONTROLASYMPTOMATICSPREAD.THEY BELIEVE, THEPOLICY WILL HAVENEGATIVE EFFECTSON THE COMMUNITY.ESPECIALLY LOWINCOME FAMILIES."GOING TO A PLACETHAT IS FREE I THINKMADE IT MUCH EASIERMADE ME MOREPRONE TO GETTING ITDONE."ON JUNE 23RDPRESIDENT TRUMPRELEASED GUIDANCETO INSURERS SAYINGTHEY DON'T NEED TOCOVER "PUBLICHEALTHSURVEILLANCE"DEMOCRATICCONGRESSMAN BRIANHIGGINS SAYS THATLOOPHOLE WILL HURTWESTERN NEWYORKERS."WHY THEY WOULD DOTHIS I HAVE NO IDEABUT THAT IS NOT THELANGUAGE THAT IS INTHE LEGISLATION THATGAVE THE INSURANCECOMPANIES FULLRESPONSIBILITY AS ITRELATES TO TESTING."ALL THREE INSURERSSAY THEY COVER THECOSTS OF TESTSWHEN IT'SRECOMMENDED BY ADOCTOR.INDEPENDENT HEALTHAND UNIVERA SAYTHEY ARE FOLLOWINGFEDERAL GUIDELINES.:09"ANYBODY IS ELIGIBLEFOR A FREE TEST AT ANEW YORK STATEUNSITE LIKE THIS ONE INFRONT OF KEYBANKCENTER.

YOU CAN SETUP AN APPOINTMENTBY CALLING THE STATECORONAVIRUSHOTLINE."THAT NUMBER IS 888-364-3065YOU CAN ALSO GO TOCORONAVIRUS.HEALTH.NY.GOV, WE'LL HAVETHAT LINKEDATTACHED TO THISSTORY ON WKBW-DOT-COM.IN BUFFALO, GILATMELAMED, 7EYEWITNESS NEWS.