CMS Announces Free OTC COVID-19 Tests for Medicare Beneficiaries

As of today, more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B including those with a Medicare Advantage plan have access to free over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests that are Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved, authorized, or cleared.

“With today’s announcement, we are expanding access to free OTC COVID-19 testing for people with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan,” said US Department of Health & Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra. “People with Medicare Part B will now have access to up to 8 FDA-approved, authorized or cleared OTC COVID-19 tests per month at no cost. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp -up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests free of charge.”

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Medicare has not covered OTC self-administered tests at no cost to beneficiaries before, but the new initiative allows payment to participating eligible pharmacies and other health care providers directly from Medicare.

These tests being offered are in addition to the 2 sets of 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests that became eligible in January of this year and can continue to be ordered from covidtests.gov.

CMS reported the following national pharmacy chains are participating in the initiative: Albertsons Companies, Inc, Costco Pharmacy, CVS, Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford Pharmacies, H-E-B Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Kroger Family of Pharmacies, Rite Aid Corp, Shop & Stop, Walgreens, and Walmart.

“Testing remains a critical tool in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, and we are committed to making sure people with Medicare have the tools they need to stay safe and healthy,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure. 

Health care providers who already provide ambulatory health care services including lab tests, vaccines, or clinic type visits are eligible to participate. Furthermore, Medicare is not requiring any new Medicare enrollment processes for participating eligible health care providers and pharmacies in an effort to ensure access of tests.

“For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an OTC test,” said Deputy Administrator Meena Seshamani, MD, PhDm director of the center for Medicare at CMS. “This is because COVID-19 testing is a critical part of our pandemic response. Combined with the free OTC tests available through covidtests.gov, this initiative will significantly increase testing access for Americans most vulnerable to COVID-19 and will provide valuable information for future payment policy supporting accessible, comprehensive, person-centered health care.”

Reference:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Biden-Harris administration announces a new way for Medicare beneficiaries to get free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. April 4, 2022. Accessed April 4, 2022. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-new-way-medicare-beneficiaries-get-free-over-counter-covid-19