The Biden administration recently announced that people with Medicare will be able to obtain up to eight over-the-counter Covid-19 tests a month for free starting in early spring.
Under the plan, Medicare will directly pay certain pharmacies and other participating entities, allowing people with Medicare or Medicare Advantage to pick up the tests for free.
The administration came under scrutiny after it rolled out Covid test reimbursements for private insurance holders without similar coverage for those with Medicare, who represent some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations to Covid-19. However, more details on how the reimbursement mechanism will work remain unclear.
This comes on top of the program initiated by the Biden administration to allow each household in the United States to order four at-home Covid-19 tests to be delivered for free by the U.S. Postal Service. However, that program has run into problems and many people who have ordered the tests have not received them after waiting a considerable length of time.
