State sets up income, health care protections as number of COVID-19 cases rises to 70

As Washington health officials announced a near-doubling in the number of reported coronavirus (COVID-19) cases, Gov. Jay Inslee on Thursday said the state is attempting to “do everything humanly possible” to slow the spread of the virus.

He also said he has asked the the state Department of Labor and Industries to ensure compensation protections for health care workers and first responders who can’t work because they are being quarantined or may have contracted COVID-19.

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said he is issuing an emergency order on Thursday to health insurers, requiring them to waive co-pays and deductibles for anyone requiring testing and treatment for COVID-19.

‘We need to accept medical reality here,” Inslee said at an 11 a.m. press conference. “This virus is going to spread across county lines..It should not cause us to run panicking in the streets. It should cause us to redouble our efforts, in my view, to slow the transmission of this virus.”

Inslee discussed the outbreak as state Department of Health officials said there is one COVID-19 case in Grant County. The total number of cases is 70, an increase from 39 on Wednesday. There are 51 cases in King County and 18 in Snohomish County, said state Secretary of Health John Wiesman.

The number of deaths increased to 11, with an additional death reported in King County on Thursday.

Inslee said he is encouraging non-essential meetings of over 10 people to be postponed or held without people being in contact with each other.

“The reason for that is even if you are perfectly health — and even if you wouldn’t mind having mild symptoms — you still potentially could transmit the disease because you don’t know you may have it. This is not an order, but it is encouragement for people to think about their responsibilities to the community,” he said.

Asked if he is ready to order that large gatherings of people be canceled, Inslee replied “not at this moment,” but said he has the authority to do so.

Inslee was scheduled to join Vice President Mike Pence later Thursday at the Pierce County Readiness Center at Camp Murray, adjacent to Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

“I’m pleased that the federal government has responded to my request, and the request of several other governors, that we have more resources to address this outbreak and it would only improve and expand our response going forward,” said Inslee before his meeting with Pence. “I’m also pleased that the federal government has waived a rule that otherwise might prohibit testing of relatively mild diseases.”

Inslee said L&I is working to ensure compensation for health care workers and first responders who can’t work that will include will include coverage for medical testing, treatment expenses, and time-loss payments.

L&I also is encouraging employers to continue to pay workers who are quarantined.

Kreidler said the emergency order to health insurers also means people will be able to get a one-time refill on their prescriptions so they don’t have to worry about running out if they are quarantined, Kreidler said.

“Patients who have to see another provider because their in-network providers would be so potentially overwhelmed would be able to go out of network and have those covered as if it were an in-network coverage,” he said.

The order is in place until May 4 and it can be extended, Kreidler said.

“I want to reassure the public that we’re here to assist them in any way we possibly can and provide clear guidance as to what they have in the way of coverage through their health insurance,” he said.

For the uninsured whose doctors believe they need testing, Inslee said the state plans to cover those testing costs.

Wiesman said the University of Washington School of Medicine virology laboratory now can test as many as 750 people per day. The state’s Public Health Laboratories is receiving additional equipment on Thursday. By the weekend, that will enable the state to test samples of up to 200 people per day, Wiesman said.

Testing at two commercial labs also are ramping up for COVID-19, Wiesman said.

This story was originally published March 5, 2020 at 1:21 PM with the headline "State sets up income, health care protections as number of COVID-19 cases rises to 70."