State health officials have closed several testing sites across Massachusetts that provided free PCR tests to anyone, regardless of symptoms or exposure to COVID. ![]() Insurers cover the costs of these tests only if they're ordered by a clinician. Results have to be processed in a lab, and turnaround times can vary. PCR tests, the most sensitive diagnostic test for COVID, are still available at doctors' offices, urgent care centers, pharmacies and other sites. ![]() And for now, the federal government is still mailing tests for free to households across the country. Some communities may continue to distribute free rapid tests. “And it might end up delaying treatment for people who don't want to use an expensive test until it's already too late to get treatment.”įor example, patients seeking Paxlovid, an antiviral pill, are supposed to begin the treatment within five days of their symptoms starting.įor much of the pandemic, particularly during COVID surges, public officials touted rapid at-home tests as a critical tool for detecting the coronavirus and stopping its spread. “This will certainly reduce people's ability to prevent COVID transmission,” Raifman said. This could have ripple effects: If someone forgoes a COVID test because of the cost, they could unknowingly spread the coronavirus on to others. Julia Raifman, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Public Health who studies COVID policies, said she’s concerned that tests will become unaffordable for too many people. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Tests will remain free for people on Medicaid programs, including MassHealth, until Sept. Seniors on Medicare also will lose access to free rapid COVID tests - unless they are covered by a Medicare Advantage plan that chooses to offer this benefit. “Health care affordability is one of our top concerns,” said Kathleen Makela, a spokesperson for Point32Health, the parent company of Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim. The costs of testing could add up.Īsked about these increased costs for members, the insurers stressed that they will continue to cover COVID tests ordered by a doctor. An individual with COVID symptoms may need several of these tests, because it may take several days of testing to detect an infection, and determine when the infection has cleared. “When the public health emergency formally expires on May 11, we will return to our prior policy, and over-the-counter COVID-19 tests will not be covered.”ĬOVID rapid tests typically cost about $24 for a pack of two. “In line with 2022 guidance issued as part of the federal government’s declaration of a public health emergency, we temporarily covered over-the-counter COVID-19 test kits,” Blue Cross spokesperson Amy McHugh said in an email. ![]() This is similar to how the companies cover other kinds of medical tests.Ĭombined, Blue Cross, Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim cover nearly 4 million people in Massachusetts. But Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care told WBUR they have decided to end this benefit.īeginning May 12, the insurers will cover only the costs of COVID tests ordered by clinicians. Individual insurers can choose to continue providing the tests for free. The state’s biggest health insurers have decided to stop providing free over-the-counter COVID tests next month, a move that could force many people to pay out of pocket in order to help detect and stop the spread of COVID-19.įederal officials will end the COVID public health emergency on May 11 - and along with it, the requirement for health insurers to cover the costs of eight rapid antigen tests per member per month, regardless of whether a person has symptoms or a known exposure to COVID. (Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
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