@RoboGraham you heard what? Because I am an NP in hospital med, and money or not, we don't have them. We have to request them from the DPH, and they haven't been testing exposed employees, even those with hallmark symptoms. The DPH declines to test a large portion of those we request.
A one- time payment to the citizens won't go half as far as reducing the problem by testing and identifying those affected.

@RoboGraham

Testing (regardless of who pays for it) has been grotesquely and shamefully inadequately accessible, for weeks or months. It does appear that it is somewhat being made addressed in the last few days or weeks, though I don't know if it will go far as it should be taken. My limited understanding is that the US response, on the testing front, has been laughable when compared to some of the other countries which are supposedly not that well developed.

I have not sought to argue that economic stimulus should not be part of things, but to champion it to the point of failing on other prudent pandemic measures is wrong. As I have said, even if one only is concerned about the financial side of this entire matter, I think it is ultimately financially advisable to take a more balanced approach to the crisis.

@Bobby9 do you work in a hospital? Because testing means the difference between going to work infected or staying home on quarantine. People who stay home tend to not infect others. People who continue to report to work because they don't know they have it walk around like little Typhoid Mary's, leaving virus particles everywhere. Some patients are contagious without symptoms. I have personally admitted patients who have tested positive but can't get tested because the symptoms I am having aren't severe enough. So please, tell me again how testing doesn't matter.

@RoboGraham drumpy said they would be paid for...call your insurance provider & ask...in most cases, no.

@Emerald

Of course testing matters and is very important. I understand that there is a massive deficiency in the number of tests available. My understanding is that, for those lucky enough to get a test, it's free. Is that incorrect?

Quarantining people who test positive is essential. Preventing those people from going out in public is the best way to stop the spread. In a situation such as what we are facing now in which we don't know who has it and who doesn't because the tests are in short supply and people who have it and are able to spread it before showing symptoms anyway, it's best to have everyone who possibly can stay out of public places. This means staying home from work which most people can't afford to do so if the government were to provide everyone with a temporary infusion of funds, it would help to reduce the number of people who feel the need to work, not because their work is absolutely necessary but because they can't afford not too.

@RoboGraham if they want a test and the department of health says it's not warranted, they have to pay for it. This is why we have asymptomatic people walking around who are positive. None of the doctors in my group have any idea what is charged to insurance.

@Emerald Part of the problem is that the GA Dept of Public Health doesn't have the capacity. Exactly why they don't isn't clear to me. They are ramping up their capacity, but I haven't heard any indication that lack of money is the problem. From what I understand, capacity is only 200 tests per day.

Also, I don't think there's any discussion about spending money on "this" instead of "that." The Feds and remarkably the Trump admin seem to be taking a position to fully fund everything. I also wonder how much funding GADPH gets from the feds as opposed to GA, but I would hope the $100m the GA legislature has approved for spending on covid-19 response helps with the testing situation.

@kmaz

Absolutely.

People are more important than the economy. The reason I think economic stimulus for workers is so important right now is because it will allow people to stay home from work and in doing so, limit exposure. Many people who have nonessential jobs are currently going into work because they can't afford not to.

When given the choice of possibly being exposed to the virus and falling desperately behind on the bills, most people are going to choose to go to work. We all need to isolate ourselves as much as possible right now and for the majority of us, it is too expensive to do so.

@Emerald

Wow, what an absurd situation.

The tests ought to be abundant and free as well as the treatment. We need everyone to be fully cooperative for the sake of public health but if there are monetary barriers in the way, many, maybe even most people will choose to go without and that makes them more likely to spread it.

This is the exact set of circumstances that makes it abundantly clear that a rational single payer healthcare system is essential.

Also, I'm sure this is an overwhelming time for you and all healthcare workers. Thank you for all that you do. Nurses are the closest things to angels in existence. I hope that all of you will be abundantly compensated for the craziness you are dealing with.

@Bobby9 again, do you work in a hospital? Because not only am I a Nurse Practitioner who works in Hospital Medicine, but literally my only function is admitting patients to the hospital. Take your mansplaining elsewhere. The adults are talking.

@Bobby9 Firstly a man explaining to a woman something that she knows more about than he does is exactly what man splaining is. 2nd your comment shows that not only do you have no idea what a nurse practitioner is you still think you know better than me by saying that testing isn't as important as I'm saying it is. So let me explain my qualifications. In order to become a nurse practitioner I worked for 7 years as a registered nurse. My master's degree required courses in graduate level pharmacology, anatomy, and pathophysiology. My job is not pencil pushing. The ER pages me to admit a patient. I go to the ER, and examine the patient. I obtain their history, and check their meds. I then place admission orders for the nurses to follow when the patient gets to the floor. Every medication, imaging study, test and consult come from orders written by me. Do not insult my medical knowledge. I would like to know what your medical qualifications are.

@Bobby9 I am neither smug nor angry and my qualifications speak for themselves. What are yours?

@Bobby9 I explained my qualifications very clearly. And again, for the 4th time, what medical qualifications do you have?

@Bobby9 I stated " the money would be better used for testing." You chimed in, with no medical experience, "not really" and that testing only confirms a person has it. This flies in the face of multiple health experts who have stressed the importance of testing in multiple media outlets. Since then you have disparaged my medical knowledge in multiple posts, referred to something I wrote as "stupid," and yet I have remained civil the whole time. You are clearly projecting your anger onto me, and now you are calling me a "crazy person" and suggesting I am "the world's worst nurse practitioner." I am none of these things, but what I am, at this point, is amused. So for the 5th time, what are your medical credentials?

@Bobby9 great.