Health insurers must cover the cost of home Covid-19 tests starting January 15, the US Department of Health and Human Services has announced.
The new requirement means that most consumers with private health insurance can buy at-home tests online or in stores and have them paid for at the time of purchase or get reimbursed by submitting a claim to their insurer. Consumers will not need to visit their doctor or get a prescription to obtain the free tests, the department said. And the tests won't be subject to copays or deductibles.Insurers must pay for up to eight tests per covered individual per month.
The administration also is purchasing 500 million at-home tests to be distributed for free. The first tests will start arriving for distribution"early next week," the White House said Monday. It is setting up a website and hotline where Americans can request the tests. More details should be available later this week, the White House said.