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Insurers aren't ready to pay for Americans' home COVID-19 tests

Insurers aren't ready to pay for Americans' home COVID-19 tests

Insurers aren't ready to pay for Americans' home COVID-19 tests
Jan 14, 2022 2 mins, 4 secs

Beginning Saturday, private health insurers will be required to reimburse their members for the cost of over-the-counter COVID-19 tests under new rules laid out by the Biden administration.

Second, many insurers aren't ready to go, saying they haven't had enough time to establish partnerships with retailers or to come up with the necessary operational processes for health plan participants to seek reimbursement for the tests.

The Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) Association, a federation of 35 independent health insurance companies that collectively cover one in three Americans, has voiced concern with the COVID-19 test reimbursement program. .

Under the rules, insurance companies are encouraged to offer the tests for free at the point of purchase through a network of so-called preferred retailers.

Without such arrangements, insurers have to reimburse members for the full cost of tests purchased outside of a preferred network. .

"That being said, we are concerned that the policy does not solve for the limited supply of tests in the country and could cause additional consumer friction as insurers stand up a program in just four days' time.".

Each Blue Cross Blue Shield company will come up with its own policies and system for members to seek reimbursement for the rapid tests, Kris Haltmeyer, vice president of policy analysis at BCBSA, told CBS MoneyWatch.

You are going to see quite a diversity of approaches health insurers across country use to come into compliance to reimburse tests by this Saturday," he said. .

A customer service representative for UnitedHealthcare said she had no information on how consumers will be able to seek reimbursement for tests purchased on or after January 15, or if the insurer had set up a network of preferred retailers. .

John Bulger, chief medical officer at Geisinger, a Pennsylvania-based regional health care provider, said the company is using its existing pharmacy network to offer the tests to members for free.

Michael Giusti, an analyst at InsuranceQuotes, which compares insurance plan costs for consumers, said the short timeline for implementing the rules means most insurers are unlikely to be ready by Saturday to enable customers to get tests for free.

Notably, most insurance plans won't immediately cover the cost of at-home tests, doing little to mitigate upfront costs to consumers

Ceci Connolly, CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, an advocacy group that represents 25 nonprofit health plans, said insurers have been working around the clock to set up preferred retail networks so consumers can get free test kits

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