THE U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ renewal of determination that a public health emergency exists will allow the CNMI to “beat” non-communicable diseases, Commonwealth Healthcare Corp. Chief Executive Officer Esther Muna said.
In an interview, she said CHCC expects another 90 days of public health emergency and extension of presumptive eligibility.
Presumptive eligibility “allows hospitals, clinics, and other entities to screen individuals for Medicaid eligibility, and to temporarily enroll those who appear eligible,” according to the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
On Thursday, USDHHS Secretary Xavier Becerra renewed the determination that a public health exists and has existed since January 27, 2020, nationwide.
In his declaration, Becerra said as a result of the continued consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, after consultation with public health officials as necessary, he has renewed the public health emergency declaration effective Oct. 13, 2022.
Muna is urging those who are covered by presumptive eligibility to access primary care services.
She recalled that CHCC requested the governor in 2020 to opt for this eligibility so CNMI residents could “access testing and treatment without having to worry about whether or not they can afford it.”
“Now, it’s beyond that,” Muna added. Noting that chronic or non-communicable diseases are prevalent in the CNMI, she said: “You can beat them with a primary care visit with your healthcare provider.”
The extension of the public health emergency, Muna said, gives people “the key to start” beating NCDs.
According to the Associated Press, the Biden administration announced Thursday that “the Covid-19 public health emergency will continue through Jan. 11 as officials brace for a spike in cases this winter.”
AP said “the public health emergency, first declared in January 2020 and renewed every 90 days since, has dramatically changed how health services are delivered.”
“The declaration enabled the emergency authorization of Covid vaccines, testing and treatments for free,” AP added. “It expanded Medicaid coverage to millions of people, many of whom who will risk losing that coverage once the emergency ends. It temporarily opened up telehealth access for Medicare recipients, enabling doctors to collect the same rates for those visits and encouraging health networks to adopt telehealth technology.”
Esther Muna
