The cost of Covid-19 hospitalizations, role insurance providers play in determining costs

HUMBOLDT COUNTY, Calif. (KIEM) — We’ve heard about people needing to be hospitalized after being diagnosed with Covid-19, but there has been little mention of the costs that accompany those hospital stays.

According to St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka, the exact costs can vary depending on the length of stay or treatment needed. Like any other illness, the hospital works with insurance providers to work out what is covered and what isn’t when it comes to Covid-19 treatment.

If people are unable to pay a portion, or the entirety, of their bill, the hospital has a financial assistance program available. If a person doesn’t have insurance, Deputy Health Officer Dr. Josh Ennis says they won’t be turned away.

“No one is ever turned away if they have an emergency medical condition. They’re protected by EMTALA, the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. If you have something that requires stabilization and requires treatment, you’re going to get that treatment,” according to Ennis.

Dr. Ennis wants to ensure the public that local hospitals are providing good care and treatments for Covid-19, including Dexamethazone and Remdesivir.