COVID-19 Public Emergency Ends: What Will Change In PA

HARRISBURG, PA — A slew of federal protections, altered policies, data collection, and other activities will come to a halt on Thursday, May 11 when the COVID-19 federal public health emergency comes to an end in Pennsylvania.

The end of the emergency is unrelated to some formal, officially-declared end of the pandemic itself, though the date has been consistently pushed back by President Joe Biden, with the most recent 90-day extension coming in January. Many existing changes will be adapted into altered policy.

"The United States has mobilized and sustained a historic response to the COVID-19 pandemic," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said last week of the milestone passing. "As a nation, we now find ourselves at a different point in the pandemic – with more tools and resources than ever before to better protect ourselves and our communities."

In Pennsylvania, changes will range from less frequent data collection on new COVID-19 cases and other statistics in municipalities, counties, and across the state.

For participants in Medical Assistance (MA) or Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP), it means that you must complete a yearly renewal to continue coverage. It will not occur automatically.

In order to do this, Pennsylvania officials recommend you go to the MYCompass system online here on the Pennsylvania state government website to update your address and other important information.

Once information is updated, renewal forms must be also be completed, even if no other information has changed.

You can also call 1-866-550-4355 to make the changes.

Some free vaccination, testing, and treatment options that were offered using federal funding under the health emergency are no longer available. This will depend on your individual community. It's best to check in with your county office, as their Office of Public Health or local community health centers may still offer free resources.

For the most part, however, vaccination sites and availability will not be immediately impacted. What's more likely to change is insurance, as providers are no longer required to waive costs related to COVID-19 tests. The CDC maintains an online No Cost COVID-19 Testing Locator.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, most other regulatory suspensions in place in the state due to the pandemic have already been lifted.

Due to limited data collection on various virus statistics, the public may have less knowledge moving forward about new variants. Officials say not to worry.

"We have the right data for this phase of COVID-19 that will allow us to understand what’s happening with the virus in America in real-time," the CDC said. "Simply put, while what we have going forward will be different, it will still allow CDC, local public health officials, and the members of the public to understand COVID-19 dynamics at the community level."