Katie Porter:
Dr. Kadlec, for someone without insurance, do you know the out of pocket costs of a complete blood count test?
Dr. Kadlec:
No ma’am, not, not immediately.
Katie Porter:
Do you have a ballpark?
Dr. Kadlec:
Out of…with a copay, ma’am?
Katie Porter:
No, the out of pocket… just the typical cost.
Dr. Kadlec:
I do not, ma’am.
Katie Porter:
Okay, the CBC typically costs about $36. What about the out of pocket costs for a complete metabolic panel?
Dr. Kadlec:
Ma’am, I’d have to pass on that as well.
Katie Porter:
You have any idea? You want to make a ballpark?
Dr. Kadlec:
I would say $75.
Katie Porter:
Okay, $58.
Dr. Kadlec:
Getting closer.
Katie Porter:
How about The A? The Flu A test?
Dr. Kadlec:
Ma’am, again, I would take a guess at about maybe $50?
Katie Porter:
$43. Flu… This is like The Price Is Right… Flu B?
Dr. Kadlec:
Too high, again. I would probably say $44.
Katie Porter:
That’s good. How about the cost of an ER visit for someone identified as high severity and threat?
Dr. Kadlec:
I’m sorry, ma’am. What was a question?
Katie Porter:
How about the cost of an ER visit for somebody identified as having high severity or high threat?
Dr. Kadlec:
High severity…Ma’am, that’s probably about $3,000 to $5,000.
Katie Porter:
Okay. That is $1,151. It… this all totals up to $1,331. That’s assuming they aren’t kept in isolation. Isolation can add up for one family already $4,000. And fear of these costs are going to keep people from being tested, from getting the care they need, and from keeping their communities safe. We live in a world where 40% of Americans cannot even afford a $400 unexpected expense. We live in a world where 33% of Americans put off medical treatment last year. And we haven’t $1,331 expense, conservatively, just for testing for the coronavirus. Dr. Redfield, do you want to know who has the coronavirus and who doesn’t?
Dr. Redfield:
Yes.
Katie Porter:
Not just rich people, but everybody who might have the virus?
Dr. Redfield:
All over America.
Katie Porter:
Dr Redfield Are you familiar with 42 CFR 71.31.. 30, excuse me. 42 CFR 71.30.
Dr. Redfield:
Uhm. Uh.
Katie Porter:
The Code of Federal Regulations that applies to the CDC, 42 CFR 71.30.
Dr. Redfield:
I think if you could frame the, what it talks about, that would help me, uhm-
Katie Porter:
Okay, Dr. Redfield, I’m pretty well known as a questioner on The Hill from.. for not tipping my hand. I literally communicated to your office last night, and received confirmation that I was going to be asking you about 42.7… 42 CFR 71.30. This provides: “The director may authorize payment for the care and treatment of individuals subject to medical exam, quarantine, isolation, and conditional release.”
Dr. Redfield:
That I know about, and my office did tell me that, I just didn’t know the numbers, ma’am. Ms. Congresswoman.
Katie Porter:
Great, so you’re familiar. Dr. Redfield, will you commit to the CDC right now using that existing authority to pay for diagnostic testing free to every American, regardless of insurance?
Dr. Redfield:
Well, I can say that we’re going to do everything to make sure everybody can-
Katie Porter:
Nope. Not good enough. Reclaiming my time. Dr. Redfield, you have the existing authority. Will you commit, right now, to using the authority that you have vested in you, under law, that provides in a public health emergency for testing, treatment, exam, isolation, without cost. Yes or no?
Dr. Redfield:
What I’m going to say is, I’m going to review it in detail with..the CDC and-
Katie Porter:
No. I’m reclaiming my time. Dr. Redfield, respectfully, I wrote you this letter along with my colleagues, Rosa DeLauro and Lauren Underwood. Congresswoman Underwood and Congressman DeLauro. We wrote you this letter one week ago. We quoted that existing authority to you and we laid out this problem. We asked for a response yesterday. The deadline and the time for delay has passed. Will you commit to invoking your existing authority, under 42 CFR 71.30, to provide for coronavirus testing for every American, regardless of insurance coverage?
Dr. Redfield:
what I was trying to say is that CDC is working with HHS now to see how we operationalize that.
Katie Porter:
Dr. Redfield, I hope that that answer weighs heavily on you. Because it is going to weigh very heavily on me and on every American family.
Dr. Redfield:
Our intent is to make sure every American gets the care and treatment they need at this time of this major epidemic, and I’m currently working with HHS to see how the best operationalize it.
Katie Porter:
Dr. Redfield, you don’t need to do any work to operationalize. You need to make a commitment to the American people, so they come in to get tested. You can operationalize the payment structure tomorrow.
Dr. Redfield:
I think you’re an excellent questioner, so my answer is yes.
Katie Porter:
Excellent! Everybody in America hear that? You are eligible to go get tested for coronavirus, and have that covered regardless of insurance. Please, if you believe you have the illness, follow precautions, call first. Do everything to CDC and Dr. Fauci, God bless you for guiding Americans in this time, but do not let a lack of insurance worsen this crisis.
Dr. Redfield:
And I would just like to echo what you said. It’s a public health.. a very important public health, that those are.. those individuals that are in the shadows can get the health care that they need during this time of us responding to this outbreak.
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