Tens of millions of Americans should soon have access to free at-home Covid tests.
The White House made the announcement amid fears of a new variant of the coronavirus. Cases of the variant, called omicron, have already popped up in California, Minnesota, Colorado and New York.
Other countries have already made the takeaway tests free. For example, British citizens can order packs of rapid tests to be sent to their homes at no charge from a government website.
Although Americans have been able to get free Covid tests with their doctors and at hospitals, they’ve had to pay for at-home tests, which usually run from around $15 to $40.
Health experts expressed optimism about the new policy.
“It’s a step toward making these tests more available to individuals, but there could still be barriers,” said Lindsey Dawson, an associate director at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
It’s unclear exactly when the new coverage will kick in, and previous tests you’ve bought likely won’t be eligible for reimbursement, Dawson said.
Details of the new plan are thin, with the Biden administration promising more guidance by mid-January. But here’s what we know as of now.
Who’s eligible?
The White House has said that the 150 million Americans who have private health insurance will be eligible for full reimbursement after they buy at an-home Covid test.
That includes people insured by their employer as well as those who’ve bought a plan on the Affordable Care Act’s Marketplace, Dawson said.
The new rules don’t apply to those on Medicaid and Medicare, although that could change, and those on Medicare with private insurance may be covered.
Short-term or health-care sharing plans typically won’t have to cover them, either, said Sabrina Corlette, co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy
How do i make sure i get reimbursed by my insurer
You’ll likely have to put in some legwork to get repaid, Dawson said.
Many people may not even be familiar with their provider’s reimbursement policy. (You can start learning about it by contacting your plan.)
Keep your receipt, said Caitlin Donovan, a spokeswoman for the Patient Advocate Foundation
“Your normal receipt should be fine — I’ve even printed out receipts from Amazon — and then you would have to send it in,” said Donovan, adding that insurers generally have a reimbursement form they want you to fill out.