The government of the president of the United States, Joe Biden, ordered private insurers to cover for free eight home tests of Covid-19 per month per person as of January 15, the White House reported on Monday.
According to a statement, thanks to this measure, those individuals with a private health insurance or a group policy that acquire a rapid test of Covid-19, authorized by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA, English), will have covered The full cost of the test.
The Government explained that companies must cover eight rapid test per month per person, with which a family of four who are all under the same policy should have access to 32 free homemade Covid tests.
The White House added that the limit of eight will not exist for those individuals who are tested under medical prescription, with which all the tests they need as long as their doctor asks.
The executive explained that the measure is framed in efforts to expand quick test access in the country.
Basically, any insured person may start from Saturday to buy a homemade Covid test, either online or in pharmacies or authorized establishments to sell them, and receive the amount of their cost well in advance or afterwards by their insurer.
In that sense, the Biden Administration stated that it is encouraging insurance companies to allow people to acquire the tests in a series of pharmacies and determined establishments so that they do not have to do the disbursement of their own pocket and then claim the money to The insurer.
The White House indicated that in this case the companies would cover the cost of the home tests in advance, saving consumers the inconvenience of having to request a refund later.
If the person prefers to acquire the test at a pharmacy or establishment different from the one chosen by the Insurer, the Government states that the Company must in that case reimburse the amount of the test, which can not exceed 12 dollars.
The Government recalled that, beyond private insurers, it has required Medicaid's state programs, which offers health coverage to the poorest, and child health insurance (chip, english) cover home tests without demanding copayment.
Biden announced last December that he was going to acquire 500 million home tests of Covid-19, he was going to strengthen staff in hospitals and expand vaccination sites, as part of the strategy to contain the impact of the omicron variant.
Those tests, which will be free, may be requested online through a web page that will enable the executive and on which details will be offered at the end of this week, said the White House spokesman, Jen Psaki, on his wheel of daily press.
PSAKA added, in addition, that Americans wait to begin to apply on the Internet those tests throughout this month.
Date Of Update: 11 January 2022, 01:30
