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2:29
President of the United States asks insurers to cover eight home tests per person per month
From the White House, Joe Biden ordered private insurers that from January 15, to cover each person, eight free Coronavirus home tests.
Thanks to this new order, people with private health insurance or a group policy who purchase a rapid test for Coronavirus, approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), will be responsible for the total cost of the proof.
The public authority clarified that organizations will have to cover eight rapid tests each month, per individual.
In the event that a family group of four people all present symptoms of contagion, being part of an insurance policy, they should have access to 32 free Coronavirus home tests.
The White House added that the restriction of only eight tests will not exist for those who take said test under medical prescription. The necessary tests must be carried out, as long as they are ordered by the treating physician.
Biden commented that this action is to grow rapid test access across the country.
Acquisition procedure
From this Saturday, any individual who needs to acquire a Coronavirus home test, can do it in an authorized establishment, online or in pharmacies, where they have availability.
The amount of the cost will be received in advance, or later by the insurer.
The Biden Administration stated that they are empowering insurance agencies to allow people to buy the tests in various pharmacies and different establishments, so that they do not have to pay with their own money and then request a refund of the cost to the insurance carrier.
In this way, the White House demonstrated that for this situation, organizations would bear the cost of home tests in advance, saving buyers the trouble of seeking reimbursement after making the purchase.
Assuming that the individual prefers to buy the test in an establishment or pharmacy other than the one chosen by the insurance company, the Government requires that the company must also consider the reimbursement of the cost of the test, which cannot exceed $12.
The Government has also asked the state Medicaid programs, which take care of the health and sanitation of the poorest people in the country, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), to also cover the cost of home tests, no need to request a copayment.
As part of the strategy to stop the contagion of the omicron variant, Biden declared last December that it would buy 500 million home tests of the Coronavirus, and that it would also increase the staff of the clinics and increase the vaccination points.
Jen Psaki, a spokeswoman for the White House, assured in her daily press conference that the tests could be acquired for free, through a web page that will be enabled by the Executive. This week they will be offering more details about this digital platform.
