Insurers are being required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests

Photo: Violeta Stoimenova/Getty Images

President Joe Biden wants insurers to cover the cost of at-home COVID-19 tests.

Biden made his remarks Thursday during a speech before the National Institutes of Health on his “COVID-19 Winter Plan.”

“The third piece of this is making free at-home tests more available than ever before and having them covered by your private insurance plans, available in thousands of locations, and available at community health centers and other sites for the uninsured who don’t have insurance,” Biden said.

WHY THIS MATTERS

Private insurers are already covering the expensive Polymerase Chain Reaction or PCR test at a doctor’s office. 

Because of funding from the Defense Production Act, production of rapid tests, including at-home tests, has increased. There are now at least eight at-home tests on the market, and while their price is coming down, it’s not good enough, Biden said.

“That’s why I am announcing that health insurers must cover the cost of at-home testing,” he said.

Starting next month, health plans will cover at-home tests for the 150 million Americans with private health insurance. For those not covered by private insurance, the federal government is going to make available free tests. 

This is on top of the 20,000 sites already around the country, like pharmacies, where you can go in and get tested for free and get vaccinated. 

“I’m calling on pharmacies – and they’ve been cooperative – big and small to offer more appointments, more walk-in hours, including on weeknights and weekends, so you can get vaccinated at a time that works best for you and your family,” Biden said.

“And today I’m announcing that we’re going to launch hundreds of new family vaccination clinics across the country. These sites are going to offer vaccinations for the whole family – one stop.”

THE LARGER TREND

Biden referred to his federal vaccination requirement getting ousted this week by court decisions.

“And while my existing federal vaccination requirements are being reviewed by the courts, this plan does not expand or add to those mandates – a plan that all Americans, hopefully, can rally around,” he said.

COVID-19 has become a divisive, political issue, he said.
 

Twitter: @SusanJMorse
Email the writer: [email protected]