How to get your money back for home COVID test kits

While it is good that the government is sending us four free home rapid COVID testing kits a month, it will not be enough for many households. However, if you obtained private insurance through an employer or group, you have a choice: You can get reimbursed per person—or get it for free from approved retailers—up to eight FDA-approved retailers. Authorized Insurance. COVID test at home per month.

Announced back in January, the new rules require private health insurance companies to cover these tests without requiring approval from a doctor or other medical provider. (If you need more kits, you can also cover them if it's ordered by a medical provider.) This requirement went into effect on January 15.

How do you take advantage of this? It depends on your specific health insurer.

Currently, the best way to find out how to get reimbursed for the tests you buy is to log into your health insurance site. I checked about six insurance sites, and currently, most are offering claim forms that you can fill out and submit along with proof of purchase. After all, according to the announcement, we should be able to pick up the kit at approved pharmacies and stores; However it is still early days.

Some other things to be aware of:

You'll need to provide proof of purchase with your claim form, so if you shop at a local store, don't lose that receipt.

Your insurance company may have a list of approved kits and/or approved retailers for which it will accept a claim. As a result, it's a good idea to check your insurer's site before buying.

You can purchase an FDA-approved kit outside of your insurer's approved retailer network; Your insurance company is required to reimburse those purchases at the rate of $12 per test.

If you ordered an online COVID test kit before January 15, but didn't receive it after that, you may still be covered. Either contact your insurer, or submit the form with proof of purchase and delivery, and hope for the best.

The requirement includes eight tests per person - not eight kits. So if you have two or more tests in your kit (and many do), keep that in mind when submitting your claim.

Unfortunately, this leaves Medicare and Medicaid health insurance recipients -- and those who don't have insurance -- very much in the cold. The government is now providing four free test kits per month per family if you sign up for them, but that's not far off if you have more than one person in your household and you need to get tested frequently. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services, "state Medicaid and CHIP programs are required to cover at-home COVID-19 tests authorized by the FDA," but rules vary by state, and you should contact your local office. should do. Will have to do for more information.

Finally, according to the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), at-home testing kits are being supplied to be distributed to HRSA- and Medicare-supported health clinics; Again, you'll need to check with your local clinic.

You can find more information about reimbursement at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services site.