Bill looks to remove copays for low-income Delaware families

DELAWARE – “This isn’t like going to the doctor and paying a $15-$20 copay to be seen. This co-payment can be as much as 9% of a family’s income,” Senator Gay said.

Delaware lawmakers met in Dover Wednesday with a goal of expanding healthcare access and making it more affordable.

Senate Bill 58 would remove co-pay requirements for first state families in need. “Keep in mind these are families under 200% of the poverty limit. These are families the state has determined need assistance in order to feed themselves and their children,” Senator Gay said.

Bill Sponsor Senator Kyle Evans Gay says it was a safeguard put in place due to COVID-19 that proved itself useful. “We know that when children are consistently in care, there’s an opportunity to work with them and to identify potential issues for early intervention,” Senator Gay said.

Owner of Pearl Clinic in Millsboro Dr. Sherin Howett tells me she supports the legislation saying the more access to care Delawareans have the healthier they will be. “Having that inconsistency in healthcare, in follow up, and in medication or disease management, you’re going to have poorer outcomes,” Dr. Howett said.

Dr. Howett says concerns could rise around the potential financial burden this could have on doctors’ offices and practices across the state.

Yet, she says her priorities lie elsewhere. “I hate to say it but yes, the money is a reality of it that we deal with. But our priority is to do right for the patient and provide the best care we can for them,” Dr. Howett said.

“I can’t imagine that patient population is really going to have that much of an impact on whether it’s a private business such as myself or a big healthcare system like we have throughout the country.”

Dr. Howett says the more complicated and difficult is it for people to access health care the bigger the impact that will have on society as a whole.

Lawmakers tells us that the financial burden is one of biggest barriers in access to care and that they hope this could be the first step towards change.

The first hearing for that bill was Wednesday and it now moves to committee where it awaits consideration.