![]() ![]() 1 of the 5 insurers (Kaiser Permanente) will reimburse members for the cost of rapid antigen home tests.We also analyzed access to over-the-counter (OTC) benefits among Medicare Advantage enrollees in 2021, which are an option for coverage of at-home COVID tests in some but not all plans.Īs of January 28, 4 of the 5 Medicare Advantage insurers that we examined are not reimbursing enrollees for at-home tests, with only one insurer, Kaiser Permanente, providing coverage of up to 8 at-home tests per month for both their Medicare and private enrollees. We conducted our analysis January 26-28, 2022. To assess whether Medicare Advantage plans are covering the cost of at-home COVID tests, we reviewed the websites and spoke with customer service representatives of five of the largest Medicare Advantage insurers that together cover about two-thirds of all Medicare Advantage enrollees (based on 2021 enrollment) (Table 1). Until Medicare coverage of at-home tests for all Medicare Part B enrollees begins, Medicare Advantage plans (offered by private insurers) have the option to cover at-home tests but are not required to do so. Currently, Medicare does not cover the cost of self-administered at-home tests, though it covers diagnostic lab testing for COVID-19 under Part B. ![]() While this policy does not apply to Medicare, the Biden Administration recently announced that Medicare will cover the cost of up to 8 at-home COVID tests per month for Medicare beneficiaries with Part B, beginning in early spring. In the wake of the COVID-19 Omicron variant wave that began in early December 2021, the Biden Administration has taken actions to increase testing capacity, including expanding access to at-home tests through neighborhood sites such as health centers and rural clinics and establishing a new federal government website and toll-free number where people can request four free at-home tests. In addition, the Administration is now requiring private insurers to cover the cost of up to 8 at-home COVID tests per enrollee per month, as of January 15, 2022, based on authorities granted by Congress under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. ![]()
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