The federal government announced that sometime in early spring, Medicare beneficiaries with Part B coverage and Medicare advantage members will be able to receive up to eight over-the-counter COVID-19 tests per month for free. The OTC tests must be FDA-approved and will be available through eligible pharmacies and other participating entities.
Until that time, free tests are still available via: request for home delivery of four OTC tests from covidtests.gov, visiting a free testing site, at a lab that performs PCR tests and antigen tests ordered by a medical practitioner, pharmacist.
In addition to accessing a COVID-19 lab test ordered by a healthcare professional, people with Medicare can also already access one lab-performed test without an order, also without cost sharing, during the public health emergency, CMS said.
Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage and payment for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests as a supplemental benefit in addition to covering Medicare Part A and Part B benefits.