Dec 2, 2021 - Health

Biden administration moves to make insurance cover at-home COVID tests

Shawna Chen

Photo of Joe Biden speaking into a microphone — President Biden speaks at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C. on Dec. 1. Photo: Ting Shen/Bloomberg via Getty Images

The federal government will issue guidance to allow people with private health insurance to seek reimbursement for the cost of at-home COVID tests, President Biden will announce Thursday.

Why it matters: The move — which comes amid growing concern about the Omicron variant and as part of the administration's larger strategy to mitigate the spread of COVID this winter — will expand access to at-home testing for over 150 million people.

Details: The Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury are going through the rule-making process to determine how exactly it will work, one senior administration official said.

People who don't have private insurance are not covered by this action, but the administration will be "doubling down" on its commitment to send 50 million free at-home tests to key sites like health centers and rural clinics.
"Partnerships with trusted community providers will aid in getting these important testing supplies into the homes of our hardest-hit communities," the White House said in a fact sheet.
The supply of rapid at-home tests is on track to quadruple since late summer, according to administration officials.
Worth noting: The Biden administration also announced Thursday plans to tighten pre-departure testing protocols for international travelers.

The big picture: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed the U.S.' first known case of the Omicron variant on Wednesday.

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Biden administration moves to make insurance cover at-home COVID tests

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