Changes in pandemic-era benefits mean new hardship for millions

Ending the pandemic emergency increases burdens for people with long COVID-19.

By Larry Buhl for Capital & Main

With the official end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, in May the federal government rolled back nearly all benefits that were broadened in 2020 to accommodate the waves of newly sick and financially vulnerable. Now those suffering from long COVID could lose supplemental income, food stamps, and Medicaid just when they need it most.

People with long COVID, a catchall term for a wide range of often debilitating health problems potentially lasting long after an initial COVID infection, now face new barriers to accessing food or supplemental income. These requirements include filling out additional, complicated forms; providing medical documentation; and submitting to in-person interviews.

In the early days of the pandemic, many benefits were extended without the usual application steps and time limits. Medicaid recipients were guaranteed not to lose their coverage during the national public health emergency, a policy that led to a significant drop in the nation’s uninsured rate. With the end of the emergency declaration, Medicaid recipients must reapply for the health coverage, and up to 15 million could lose it over the next year, the government estimates.