Senior Older and Wiser By June Michel

LET’S TALK ABOUT MONEY. The CDC eviction moratorium is set to expire on October 3. Thousands of people who lost their income because of the pandemic are behind in their rent. This week, Senator Elizabeth Warren and Congressman Cori Bush have introduced legislation that would extend the eviction moratorium. The legislation is entitled the Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021.

CDC EVICTION MORATORIUM Remember the recent Supreme Court decision that stated the CDC had exceeded its authority by issuing an eviction moratorium? This new legislation would address that by permanently granting the CDC power to issue an eviction moratorium where there is a serious disease risk. New coronavirus cases are at an all time high. Even worse, the death rate has also spiked.

Because the pandemic is not over, more eviction protection is necessary. When the delta variant made its first appearance, we were told that the variant was not as lethal as Covid-19 but much more contagious. Now, hospitals are filled with infected, unvaccinated young people and they are dying. In a recent NPR interview an Idaho doctor confirmed the hospitals are overflowing with covid patients and it’s the thirty year olds who are dying. There may be a gap in protection. The Keeping Renters Safe Act of 2021 is just in the proposed legislation stage and may not be in effect on October 3. This new CDC authority must pass in the Senate and in the House and then it must be signed into law by the President.

WHO PAYS FOR COVID HOSPITAL CARE? For the first year of the pandemic insurance companies covered the costs of medical care and hospitalization. Then the vaccines were rolled out. Now, many insurance companies have brought back charges for copays and deductions. As a result, people who have spent a month in the hospital on a ventilator are going home with huge medical bills. This is a change in approach. Not all insurance companies have started charging. If you have friends who are not vaccinated, tell them to verify with their insurance carrier that if they refuse the vaccine and end up in the hospital the insurance company will still cover their medical bills.