Gov. Ducey Issues Declaration Of Emergency over Coronavirus

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

Gov. Ducey Issues Declaration Of Emergency over Coronavirus

Posted By Jeff Gardner on Wed, Mar 11, 2020 at 3:38 PM

Gage Skidmore/Flickr

On Wednesday, March 11, Governor Doug Ducey issued a Declaration of Emergency, as well as an executive order, to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Arizona.

“While our state is not currently facing the number of cases we’ve seen in some other states, we are anticipating additional positive cases — and we’re not taking any chances," Ducey said. "Arizonans should not panic — our approach will be calm and steady. This Emergency Declaration and Executive Order continue our effort to protect public health and save lives.”

The emergency declaration:

- Establishes the Arizona Department of Health Services as the entity responsible for coordinating all matters pertaining to the public health emergency response of the State.

- Allows ADHS to waive licensing requirements to provide healthcare officials with assistance in delivering services during times of heightened demand.

- Allows the state to access $500,000 in emergency funds to aid in measures and resources to protect public health.

- Provides the state with emergency procurement authority to procure goods and services as needed to protect public health.

The executive order :

- Requires insurance companies and health plans to cover out of network providers, including out of plan laboratories and telemedicine providers.

- Waives all copays, coinsurance, and deductibles for consumers related to COVID-19 diagnostic testing and decreases co-pays for telemedicine visits.

- Implements consumer protections, including prohibiting price-gouging on COVID-19 of diagnosis and treatment-related services.

- Requires symptom checks of healthcare workers and visitors at skilled nursing facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.

Tags: health , corona virus , covid19 , ducey , governor , state of emergency , Image