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Miami-Dade Commissioner Urges Governor To Make Sure Coronavirus Testing Is Available After Miami Woman Allegedly Denied Proper Testing

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – A Miami-Dade County Commissioner is asking Governor Ron DeSantis to take the necessary steps in making sure coronavirus testing is available if local doctors request it.

Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava's letter to DeSantis coming in direct response to a CBS4 Jim DeFede's report on Monday. In that report, DeFede spoke to the woman who recently returned home from Italy, but was told by doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital that she "likely" has COVID-19, however they were unable to verify it because state and federal officials refused to conduct the necessary tests to confirm it.

In her letter to the Governor, Cava wrote, "The headlines late yesterday afternoon from our local CBS affiliate confirming that a patient was denied testing for COVID-19 is counterproductive to the strategies healthcare professionals have outlined to confront the crisis." She added, "I know you are committed to deploying all available state resources and would urge you to ensure that testing kits be made available to test any patient a medical professional deems necessary."

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Cava is also asking the Governor to make sure insurance coverage is not an obstacle for testing.

"I believe that no Floridian should be denied the ability to be tested for Coronavirus because of barriers with their insurance plan, or due to lack of insurance coverage. In short, we must minimize, or eliminate, the financial burdens for any individual who needs to be tested. I would urge you to mobilize the state's Office of Insurance Regulation to implement any directives allowed under Florida law to waive fees for any patient who needs to be tested for COVID-19. Further, Floridians covered under Medicaid should also see any fees waived."

Florida officials on Tuesday reported a third person testing positive for a new strain of coronavirus, as states across the country struggled to keep abreast of the spreading threat from a rising number of infections.

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