Medicare is now paying for at-home Covid-19 tests from retailers

By Tami Luhby, CNN

(CNN) — Medicare enrollees can now get hold of household Covid-19 checks from specified pharmacies and vendors at no expense, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Solutions introduced Monday.

The transfer will come far more than two months just after the Biden administration commenced requiring health insurers to go over the price tag of dwelling exams for most Americans with private insurance policy.

Medicare was not initially integrated in the directive, sparking an outcry from seniors and persons with disabilities. Far more than 59 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare.

The hold off stemmed from the fact that traditional Medicare had by no means protected about-the-counter tests ahead of. CMS announced in February that it would add a new payment application so it could broaden reimbursement to Medicare enrollees setting up in the early spring.

“This is all aspect of our general method to ramp-up obtain to simple-to-use, at-house assessments free of charge,” Wellness and Human Expert services Secretary Xavier Becerra reported in a statement.

Up to 8 checks a thirty day period

Underneath the initiative, Medicare enrollees can acquire up to eight property exams a month at no expense from participating pharmacies and vendors, which Medicare will reimburse instantly.

These in Medicare Edge designs may perhaps will need to clearly show their federal Medicare cards to get the absolutely free checks, which are being coated by Medicare Portion B, not wellness insurers. Some Medicare Benefit designs could go over Covid-19 exams as a different gain.

National pharmacy chains that are participating include: Albertsons, Costco, CVS, Food Lion, Large Foodstuff, Hannaford, H-E-B, Hy-Vee, Kroger, Rite Aid, Shop & Prevent, Walgreens and Walmart.

Enrollees can also check out with their nearby pharmacies or providers to see if they are participating or phone 1-800-MEDICARE to obtain places.

The coverage will very last until the general public health and fitness emergency ends. It is at this time set to expire in mid-April but is anticipated to be renewed for at minimum an additional three months.

Other screening choices

Medicare enrollees, like all Americans, can ask for two totally free sets of four at-household Covid-19 checks from the federal governing administration as a result of Covidtests.gov.

They also have accessibility to no-price exams as a result of overall health treatment providers at much more than 20,000 tests web pages.

And Medicare enrollees can get exams done at a laboratory at no cost when ordered by a doctor, pharmacist or other health and fitness treatment service provider.

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