Robert I. Field, professor of law at Drexel University’s Kline School of Law, appeared in a Jan. 31 WCAU-TV (NBC-10) news segment about the federal government’s plans to end the COVID-19 emergency declarations in May.

“What most people will see is that it’s going to cost more to get various Covid-related treatments,” Field said. “If you get sick, Paxlovid and other treatments are not going to be paid for by the government, so it’s going to depend on your insurance company whether you get it and whether there’s a copay or deductible that applies.”

He recommended that individuals talk with their insurance companies about coverage for tests, treatments, and vaccines. They also might want to order the free COVID tests available from the government before the emergency declaration is lifted, he added.

Field is director of the law school’s JD-Master of Public Health Program. He also is a professor of health management and policy at Drexel’s Dornsife School of Public Health. He is a nationally recognized expert in health care regulation and its role in implementing public policy.

President Joe Biden’s administration said Jan. 30 that it will end COVID emergency declarations May 11, nearly three years after the previous administration imposed sweeping measures to curb the spread of the illness.