The Biden administration is telling health-care providers to begin preparing for an end to the public health emergency declared in response to the Covid-19 pandemic nearly three years ago.

The change will have broad implications for Medicaid health insurance recipients and could significantly impact how hospitals and pharmacies operate.

How the U.S. manages Covid this fall and winter will provide crucial data on whether the emergency needs to remain in place, Health Secretary Xavier Becerra told reporters on a call earlier this month.

The Health and Human Services Department will give the public 60 days notice before lifting the public health emergency, Becerra said. His comments come after President Joe Biden claimed in September that the pandemic is over, though he said Covid still presents a health challenge.

Becerra renewed the emergency declaration until Jan. 11 last week as the U.S. presses ahead with a fall booster campaign, but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told health-care providers in August to start preparing for a return to pre-pandemic rules as soon as possible.