How to get your money back for at-home COVID test kits

Announced back in January, the new rules state that private health insurers are required to cover these tests without needing approval from a doctor or other medical provider. (If you need more kits, you can also get them covered if it is ordered by a medical provider.) This requirement went into effect on January 15th.

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

Currently, the best way to find out how to get reimbursed for tests you have purchased is to log on to your health insurance site. I checked about six insurance sites, and currently, most are offering claim forms that you can fill out and submit with proof of purchase. Eventually, according to the announcement, we should be able to pick up kits at approved pharmacies and stores; however, it’s early days yet.

Some other things to be aware of:

Unfortunately, this leaves Medicare and Medicaid health insurance recipients — and those who don’t have insurance — pretty much out in the cold. The government is now providing four free test kits per month per household if you sign up for them, but that isn’t going to go very far if you have more than a couple of people in your household and a need to test frequently. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services, “State Medicaid and CHIP programs are required to cover FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests,” but the rules can vary by state, and you’ll have to contact your local office for more info.

Update January 20th, 11:30AM ET: Information added to clarify the availability of test kits for participants in Medicaid and CHIP programs.

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