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Congress under pressure to approve more money needed to cover COVID-19 costs

StarMed doctors say they worry the lack of funding will negatively impact high-risk patients the most.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — With the new omicron subvariant BA.2 now making its way through parts of the United States, some medical professionals worry another wave of COVID-19 infections could be the on the way. That's one reason why White House leaders are urging Congress to act now to help fund additional COVID-19 care costs.

RELATED: COVID-19 precautions are dying off. At the same time, health officials are keeping an eye on a new subvariant.

That care includes COVID-19 testing, treatments and vaccines. The White House is asking Congress for an additional $22.5 billion to continue covering care for those with or without insurance. If not, some doctors worry the burden will fall on the uninsured.

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“People who are uninsured and our high risk patients with the highest risk of having bad outcomes are going to have to pay out of pocket," StarMed Chief Medical Officer Dr. Arin Piramzadian said.

Without the funding the federal government also says it won't be able to afford to buy new vaccines, antiviral pills, and monoclonal antibodies.

RELATED: Moderna seeks FDA authorization for 4th dose of COVID shot

“If people are not getting tested they won’t know if they’re positive or not so they will spread it more," Piramzadian said. "If people don’t get the vaccine they could end up in the hospital costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per visit.”

The exact out of pocket cost of previously free COVID-19 care is still unclear, but healthcare providers say the deadline to make decisions is quickly approaching.

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“We are actually being given a deadline that we have to hand in all the services that we’ve provided to the governments fund for payment otherwise they’re saying after a certain point next week there’s no more funding available," Piramzadian said.

The hope is that the Senate might approve a new spending bill in the coming days with COVID-19 funding in mind.

Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on FacebookTwitter and Instagram.

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