Who Pays for COVID-19 Testing?

Three new deaths related to Covid-19 were reported yesterday from a memory care facility in Billings. Wow, those autopsies were completed fast, weren't they? I don't know if you know this, but 80 and 90-year-olds who are sent to those nursing care facilities are not sent there to be treated and released. It's end of life care, basically. I bet dozens die every month at our homes and we don't get the cause of death.

Now, there is more free testing this weekend at Metra. Who thinks that's free? Do you think Riverstone Health will be paid for every test they perform? What about the place that does the testing analysis? So much of this stuff is money-related. Hospitals get paid more if a person is put on a ventilator, so do you think that there is a good chance that people are rushed to ventilators? Look at it this way, if people were paid less for a positive on the test, or paid more if the patient did not go to the hospital and was self-quarantined, I'm betting our numbers would be far fewer. Don't forget that Montana has already received 1.25 billion dollars in relief aid, according to a press release from Governor Bullock. Wow, maybe if we can show a dramatic increase we can get another billion in aid. I'm just saying...

Have a good weekend, don't cough and we'll see ya Monday at 5.