Insurers Applaud New Medicare Coverage for OTC COVID Tests

April 8

Medicare Part B will now cover eight over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests per month with no cost sharing for beneficiaries starting April 4, according to a new Biden administration policy. Medicare Part B and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries will be able to order the tests from a government website or acquire them from participating retailers through the end of the public health emergency.

The new benefit will not require much participation from Medicare Advantage plans, although their members are eligible to receive it. Members can submit purchases for reimbursement or obtain the tests for free from retailers.

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Health Plan Weekly

Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.