Beaumont waives emergency copays and deductibles for federal workers during shutdown

Federal employees who rely on Beaumont emergency services, including ER visits and urgent care appointments, will have their fees waived during the ongoing federal shutdown.

Beaumont Health announced on Tuesday that the roughly 5,000 Michigan-based federal workers who are affected by the federal shutdown will not have to pay emergency center and urgent care center copays and deductibles during the shutdown.

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The announcement is retroactive to December 22, when the parital shutdown started. A full month later and there's no end in sight for the employees who have been furloughed or are working without pay.

Beaumont says the waiving of fees is for all insured family members of federal employees and it will remain in effect until the government reopens.

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Federal employees will receive backpay once the shutdown ends but out-of-pocket health care costs add to the burden, Beaumont says.

"Our Mission to provide compassionate, extraordinary care every day leads us to try to take steps to help our patients and families during times of need and unique circumstances over which they have no control," Beaumont Health CEO John Fox said. "We hope this will provide some peace of mind to those who are facing hard choices until government jobs reopen and pay is restored."

Government workers and their insured family members will be flagged during registration process at Beaumonth. Federal employees who previously received emergency or urgent car dating back to midnight on December 22 should contact Beaumont at 248-577-9443 to adjust their bill.