Some medical experts predicted that COVID-19 would eventually be treated like the flu in terms of it being a part of life instead of a pandemic. Michiganders have already adapted to that reality, with fewer people wearing masks. Now, businesses and state agencies are also getting with the post-pandemic realities as the end of the federal COVID-19 health emergency ends tomorrow.
Several changes will take—and have taken—place. As reported in the Michigan Chronicle back in April, Medicaid is going back to its renewal process, or when the program checks that the enrollees are still eligible for the program’s free or low-cost coverage based on income and household. That process started back in March when Medicaid mailed out letters notifying people that they need to provide any updates regarding their income and household sizes by certain dates.
Another change is people will have to pay for COVID tests, especially over-the-counter ones. Private insurers can soon ask their customers to co-pay or otherwise take on the cost of the tests and other related fees. According to the Detroit News, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, the state’s dominant provider of health insurance, is following suit. The insurer’s members will ‘normal copays and deductibles’ for tests from a health care provider, over-the-counter tests will no longer be covered, and treatments will be covered but subject to normal copays.
Businesses are also reconsidering work-from-home, hybrid schedules and extended sick leave or paid time policies in light of the lifting pandemic policy. Wendy Block, senior vice president of business advocacy for the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, told the Detroit News, that “there is no universal trend on employment benefit policies, but many companies are relying on their employees to tell them what is most important.”
But let’s be clear: though the numbers of infections and deaths have fallen—thanks to 70 percent of Michigan residents getting at least one dose of the available vaccines–the virus isn’t over.
The Detroit News stated, “After mortalities hit 3,161 in December 2021, they rapidly dropped off, hitting 2,420 in January 2022, 973 in February 2022 and 302 in March 2022. Monthly COVID deaths haven’t exceeded 300 since March 2022. Deaths fell below 200 in both February and March, while there were 111 mortalities in April, according to the latest monthly state totals.” Currently, the Detroit News said, Michigan is averaging 388 confirmed and probable cases and nearly nine deaths a day, according to state data released Tuesday.
At the same time, as immunity wanes, Michigan can experience another spike as the virus mutates, as viruses do. To that end, vaccines will be unaffected by the end of the health emergency, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) spokeswoman Lynn Sutfin said, and the MDHHS said it will continue to support free over-the-counter tests through Project ACT. The program, which collaborates with libraries across the state, sends free test kits to people’s houses.