Insurers will start paying for quick home tests this week

By Tami Luhby and Katherine Dillinger, CNN

(CNN) – Health insurance companies have to cover the cost of the home Checking for Covid-19 effective January 15, the US Department of Health and Human Services announced Monday.

The new requirement means that most consumers with private health insurance can purchase home tests online or in stores and get paid at the time of purchase or get a refund by submitting a claim. ask their insurance company.

Consumers will not need to visit a doctor or get a prescription to get free tests, the ministry said. And the tests won’t be subject to copays or deductions.

The insurer must pay for up to eight examinations per insured individual per month. But there will not be any limits if the doctor prescribes or administers them after an office visit.

Insurers can set up a network of preferred stores, pharmacies and online retailers where consumers can get free tests. People can still purchase tests outside of that network, but insurers will only have to reimburse up to $12 per test.

This requirement is not retroactive, so at-home tests purchased before January 15 are not eligible for a refund.

The move, which President Joe Biden announced last month, comes as Americans desperately seek testing amid the rise of the Omicron variant. Search for home tests is proving challenging in many parts of the country, even if Retailer limited quantity can be purchased by a customer.

“The success of the Biden administration’s request for insurers to pay for at-home Covid tests will, of course, depend on their ability to initiate those valuable trials,” tweeted Larry Levitt, executive vice president of health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, on Monday.

The government is also buying 500 million home check for free distribution. The first tests will begin to be distributed “early next week”, The White House said on Monday.

It is setting up a website and hotline for Americans to request tests. The White House said more details will be provided later this week.

Health insurers will work quickly, expect ‘no hiccup’

Matt Eyles, CEO of America’s Health Insurance Program, known as AHIP, said in a statement.

“While there may be some hiccups in the early days, we will work with the authorities to quickly resolve issues as they arise,” Eyles said, reinforcing the importance of the site. vaccines against coronavirus.

Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, covered home tests with no cost-sharing. Medicare covers Covid-19 testing done in a lab at no cost when ordered by a healthcare professional. People enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan should check with their insurance company to see if at-home tests are covered, HHS said.

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