VIDEO: Carper to Trump Administration Officials: Coronavirus Screenings Should be Accessible to and Affordable for all Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.) pressed U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) officials for specific details on the federal government’s plan to respond to the coronavirus and make critical screening more accessible to all Americans, and how the Administration is preparing for future global pandemics.

Senator Carper said, “Given the potential for a fairly rapid spread of this virus, we can’t allow for patients to delay screening because of concerns of affordability with respect to their insurance deductibles and co-pays. Recently, the news media has documented one short-term health insurance plan in Florida billing a patient $3,000 for a coronavirus screening. Three thousand dollars.”

Senator Carper asked, “What are you and your staff doing to ensure that coronavirus screenings and testing are low-cost and affordable? Have you asked health insurers and employers to lower or remove financial barriers to coronavirus screenings?”

Watch the full exchange here.

Today, Senator Carper and Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined 37 other Democratic Senators in demanding that Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) Alex Azar take immediate action to address the many ways in which Trump Administration policies that limit access to health care have undermined our preparedness for and ability to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Read their letter here.

For updated information and resources on the coronavirus, visit Senator Carper’s website here.

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