![]() ![]() The government's mail-order COVID tests program and requirement for insurance companies to cover COVID-19 tests without cost-sharing, both for over-the-counter and laboratory tests, will end on May 11, according to HHS. After May 11, at-home tests will likely cost you “I encourage people to check the expiration date on tests they have at home, then go to the FDA site and validate whether those tests’ expiration dates have been extended,” says Benjamin. The shelf life of rapid at-home COVID-19 tests ranges from four to 24 months, according to the U.S. And uninsured people can continue to access free at-home tests at thousands of community clinics, participating pharmacies or other Health & Human Services sites, says Balber. State Medicaid programs are also currently required to cover the cost of FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. household is still eligible to order four free rapid tests by mail (if their last order was before Dec. These can be purchased online or in-store from most pharmacies or major retailers with the cost covered either upfront or through reimbursement, previously reported.Īdditionally, every U.S. Right now, anyone who has health insurance - whether it’s an individual plan purchased through the marketplace, employer-sponsored or Medicare part B - is eligible for eight free at-home COVID-19 tests per month, Carmen Balber, executive director of Consumer Watchdog, tells. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, tells. “We’ve got a few more days to stock up so if you can get more tests, you should do that now,” says Dr. Until 11:59pm on May 11, people can still take advantage of testing benefits from the government under the PHE. The end of the public health emergency will mean the end of free COVID-19 testing for most people, according to experts, though coverage will vary by insurer and state. Can I still get free COVID-19 tests from the government? Here's what you can expect to change in the near future around COVID-19 testing, according to experts. When the PHE ends, many of these will end, as well. The emergency declaration allowed Congress to extend funding, flexibilities and waivers, which changed the way healthcare was delivered. Both of these have been low-cost or free for most Americans since 2020, but that will soon change. There are two types: PCR tests, most often performed in a laboratory, and rapid antigen tests, which can be self-administered at home. Testing remains an important tool to curb transmission and treat patients early to prevent severe disease or complications. The new Arcturus omicron XBB.1.16 subvariant, which has mutations that make it highly transmissible and immune-evasive, is also spreading around the country, previously reported. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections are down significantly in the U.S., but new weekly cases are still hovering over 75,000, according to the U.S. Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized that even if the global emergency is over, the global threat of COVID-19 is not. ![]()
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