Is this the right way to pull back on Covid spending?

By early next year, the US government will likely run out of money to pay for Covid-19 vaccines, tests and treatments. Although President Joe Biden has requested an additional $22 billion from Congress, Republicans are in no mood to continue splurging on the pandemic — not least because so much relief money has already been misspent.
Shifting more costs to the private sector makes sense, but some level of government funding is still necessary to protect the vulnerable and stay ahead of future threats. The administration and lawmakers should agree on a more limited approach that focuses on those most in need and ensures that the US is still prepared to fight the next pandemic.
Since the start of the Covid outbreak, the government has allocated more than $86 billion for shots and treatments. By most metrics, the effort has been a success: Some 215 million people have been fully vaccinated and almost 10 million courses of therapeutics have been administered, all free to consumers. This investment has prevented millions of deaths and hospitalizations. Although the pandemic isn’t yet “over,” as Biden has declared, the government has largely done its job.
So what should come next?
With another relief package unlikely, the White House should prioritize. As a start, it’s hard to justify spending more money on free shots for the 92% of Americans covered by health insurance. It’s true that the US vaccination rate — at 68% — remains disappointingly low. But by now it’s clear that money isn’t the issue for those forgoing their shots.
The key will be managing the transition to insurers. In August, the Biden administration met with state and local officials, health-care providers, insurers, and drugmakers to discuss what it calls the “pathway to commercialization,” which is a good start. But Congress, too, needs to step up. In particular, some treatments are available only under an emergency-use authorization, which means they may not be covered by Medicare and Medicaid once the public-health emergency ends. Optimally, the Food and Drug Administration will conclude its reviews before government supplies run out. If it doesn’t, Congress should enable the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand the definition of covered drugs to include Covid-19 therapeutics.
Next, the uninsured will still need help. Lawmakers should consider Biden’s proposal in next year’s budget to offer free vaccines to adults who lack coverage, modeled after a similar successful program for children. A dedicated vaccine program, which would include flu and other routine shots, would be an improvement on the current use of discretionary funds primarily during outbreaks. It also would better prepare the health system for future threats from vaccine-preventable diseases.
Even as the government reels in its spending, however, it needs to prepare for the next variant and future pandemics.
—Bloomberg