As part of the effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 private health insurance companies have agreed to wave co-pay expenses for COVID-19 diagnostic testing and for antibody testing.
Removing out-of-pocket expenses for the testing eliminates any potential financial barriers that might keep an individual from being tested.
“It is critical that Americans have peace of mind knowing that cost won’t be a barrier to testing during this national public health emergency,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Seema Verma.
Specifically, the program includes group health plans and individual health insurance to cover both diagnostic testing and certain related items and services provided during a medical visit with no cost sharing. This includes urgent care visits, emergency room visits, and in-person or telehealth visits to the doctor’s office that result in an order for or administration of a COVID-19 test. Covered COVID-19 tests include all FDA-authorized COVID-19 diagnostic tests, COVID-19 diagnostic tests that developers request authorization for on an emergency basis, and COVID-19 diagnostic tests developed in and authorized by states. It also ensures that COVID-19 antibody testing will also be covered.