COVID-19 Public Health Emergency Set to Expire on May 11, 2023
Long before COVID-19 cases were diagnosed in Midland in March 2020, the Trump Administration implemented a Public Health Emergency (PHE) related to the COVID-19 virus, effective January 31, 2020. This PHE is finally set to expire on May 11, 2023. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, since the Omicron variant was at its height in January 2022, the nation has seen daily COVID-19 reported cases drop 92%, COVID-19 related deaths drop by over 80% and new COVID-19 hospitalizations down by almost 80%.
As the PHE expires in the coming days, Midland Health will adjust some of the policies put in place during the pandemic, whether adopted internally or demanded externally.
First, we will stop the daily COVID-19 reporting on the top of our webpage. There will still be regular reporting to the state and federal governments as required.
The screening process at our main entrance of the Scharbauer Tower has recently stopped. These individuals will continue to help visitor’s check-in via the new kiosks that have been in place for over a year. These kiosks were implemented for identification as a safety precaution and not as a result of the COVID-19 virus. We do ask that if you are ill, please don’t visit patients in the hospital and put others at risk.
Speaking of visitation, we are working to modify our visitation policies to allow additional visitors in the hospital during new, extended visiting hours. Each department or floor will have their own policies. Critical care departments will be managed with more concern while labor and delivery will be more welcoming so families can participate in the exciting birth of a new family member. Allowances will be provided during any end of life treatment in our facility. The policy is located at https://www.midlandhealth.org/main/visitor-guidelines.
The masking policy, as prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, will be adjusted. Masking will be required for rooms with COVID-19 patients and other traditional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements, prior to the pandemic, will be reinstituted.
The employee vaccine mandate is set to expire separately from the PHE. Originally, the employee vaccine mandate was set to expire in November 2024. Recent communication from the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services suggests this mandate will expire sooner, but no date has been provided just yet. When the vaccine mandate is withdrawn, we will eliminate our vaccination requirements as well. In the meantime, all personnel subject to the vaccine mandate can request a religious or medical exemption.
Aside from the impact inside Midland Health, the most important change is the end of the Medicaid waiver that maintained coverage for all Medicaid recipients throughout the PHE. This will be a long process, led by the State, to remove individuals that no longer qualify for the Medicaid program. If you still meet the eligibility requirements, you will be able to retain coverage when you are contacted by the Medicaid program.
What WILL NOT be affected:
- Access to COVID-19 vaccinations and certain treatments, such as Paxlovid and Lagevrio, will generally not be affected
- FDA’s Emergency Use Authorizations (EUA) for COVID-19 products (including tests, vaccines, and treatments) will not be affected
- Major Medicare and Medicaid telehealth flexibilities will not be affected
- The process for states to begin eligibility redeterminations for Medicaid will not be affected
We trust that the outlined changes will be welcomed, and we look forward to continuing to meet the needs of our community through this adjustment period.
Midland Health is grateful for the community support during the last 3 years. Individuals, foundations, private business and other public entities like the City of Midland and Midland County provided so many resources to our organization that contributed to our success in navigating the pandemic. Our hospital employees, medical staff and other healthcare organizations in the community worked tirelessly to care for our community during this pandemic. We are all forever in their debts. Thank you all.