On January 15, 2022, the Biden/Harris Administration released a mandate where individuals with private health insurance coverage or group health plans can now purchase at-home Covid-19 test kits with no upfront costs or be eligible for reimbursement.
Insurance companies and health plans are now required to cover eight free at-home tests per covered member per month.
What Is an At-Home Covid-19 Test?
At-home Covid-19 test kits are diagnostic tests that detect specific proteins on the virus’s surface and are used to detect an active coronavirus infection.
If you have come into contact with someone or are showing symptoms of Covid-19, it is best to quarantine at home and wait 3-5 days before taking the test to ensure the virus will be detected.
How to Get Reimbursed for Your At-Home Covid Test Kits in Minnesota
Blue Cross Blue Shield of MN
All BCBS members can receive reimbursement from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota for up to eight at-home Covid-19 diagnostic tests per month. You can find these tests over the counter at a pharmacy, retail store, or online store. To learn more, check out their at-home Covid-19 testing and reimbursement page.
To be eligible for reimbursement, you’ll need the following:
- An FDA approved test
- A receipt for the amount paid
- A reimbursement form that is printed out and mailed to the address provided.
Once the forms are received, they will be processed, and a check will be mailed back. This process could take up to 60 days.
Please note:
- Reimbursement does not apply to tests used for employment purposes.
- Blue Cross will still cover other types of COVID-19 diagnostic tests if they are FDA-approved or authorized and determined appropriate by a qualified health professional.
- The new program does not include Medicare Advantage plans.
Cigna
Their Covid-19 resource page states that they will provide free Covid-19 test kits with no upfront cost when test kits are purchased from a location in their network.
Like all other health insurance companies, according to the new Biden-Harris mandate, Cigna will provide eight at-home test kits per member per month.
If you purchase a test kit and pay upfront for it, keep the receipt and the UPC code on the box and submit a claim for reimbursement. You can submit the claim through the mail or by faxing it.
HealthPartners Minnesota
Certain HealthPartners members have coverage for up to eight at-home Covid-19 diagnostic tests per member per month.
Coverage is available for:
- Fully insured employer plan members
- Self-insured employer plan members who have pharmacy benefits through HealthPartners
- Individual and family plan members
To have no upfront costs, HealthPartners recommends purchasing a test kit from pharmacies in their network. For in-network pharmacies, click here. You must also bring the test kit to the pharmacy counter and show them your insurance card for your coverage to be applied automatically.
You can still be reimbursed if you don’t purchase the test at the pharmacy counter or purchase a test out of network. To claim a reimbursement, do the following:
- Purchase an FDA-approved test kit
- Sign in to your online account
- Have your receipt and the UPC or barcode from the box ready
- Follow the prompts to fill out your reimbursement request
Humana
Humana’s Covid-19 FAQ page states that Humana Commercial Group members are eligible to receive eight at-home Covid-19 test kits per member per month at no out-of-pocket cost. To receive this, each member must meet the following criteria:
- Purchase an FDA-approved at-home test kit for personal use to test for a current infection.
Some FDA approved tests are:
- QuickVue At-Home COVID-19 Test kit
- BinaxNOW COVID-19 Ag Self Test kit
- Ellume Covid-19 Home Test kit
- InteliSwab COVID-19 Rapid Test kit
- CareStart Covid-19 Antigen Home Test kit
- iHealth Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Test kit
- Flowflex Covid-19 Antigen Home Test kit
- Lucira Check-It Covid-19 Test kit
- To receive an at-home test kit with no up-front cost, take the test to a pharmacy counter and have the staff process the at-home test kit as a claim.
- When submitting a reimbursement claim, remember to have a receipt from the purchase and the UPC from the test packages.
For Humana Medicare Advantage and Medicaid members, the new mandate does not apply. However, those members with this coverage should contact their state Medicaid office for more information.
Medica
Medica states on their Individual and Family Plan Covid-19 FAQ that Medica members enrolled in individual plans and commercial fully and self-funded plans have coverage for eight at-home COVID-19 antigen tests without a prescription from a qualified health professional.
To receive these free tests, you need to visit an in-network pharmacy and purchase the tests at the pharmacy counter.
If you purchase an FDA-approved test at the front of the store or a location not in-network, you will need to pay for the test and submit a reimbursement claim. You will be reimbursed up to $12 per test purchased on or after January 15, 2022.
PreferredOne
PreferredOne’s Covid-19 FAQ page states that PreferredOne Members with ClearScript Pharmacy Benefit services can purchase at-home testing kits through network pharmacies for no upfront cost.
If you decide to purchase a test out of network, you can be reimbursed up to $12 per test.
PreferredOne members with other pharmacy benefit services recommend you contact your pharmacy benefits manager or PreferredOne customer service for more information.
Additional Important Information
The government launched a website on January 19, 2022, where you can sign up to receive four free at-home test kits per household and receive them through the USPS.
For a full list of FDA-approved at-home testing kits click here.
You can also get free at-home tests from community health centers and Medicare-certified health clinics.
Resources:
- Biden-Harris Administration Requires Insurance Companies and Group Health Plans to Cover the Cost of At-Home COVID-19 Tests, Increasing Access to Free Tests | HHS.gov
- COVID-19 Testing – Minnesota Dept. of Health (state.mn.us)
- Want at-home COVID tests for free? Avoid these coverage pitfalls in Minnesota – StarTribune.com
Hyperlinks included in the article:
- https://www.bcbsm.com/index/common/important-information/covid-19.html
- https://www.bcbsm.com/content/dam/public/shared/documents/coronavirus/covid-testing-member-reimbursement-form.pdf
- https://www.cigna.com/coronavirus/
- https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/coronavirus/covid-otc-med-claim-form.pdf
- https://www.healthpartners.com/hp/pharmacy/find-a-pharmacy/index.html
- https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/in-vitro-diagnostics-euas-antigen-diagnostic-tests-sars-cov-2#Individual%20EUAs
- https://www.healthpartners.com/my/plan-overview/
- https://www.humana.com/provider/coronavirus/testing-faq
- https://docushare-web.apps.external.pioneer.humana.com/Marketing/docushare-app?q=cXxg3INYrceo9abvlmEMLw%3d%3d
- https://www.medica.com/shop/individual-and-family/individual-and-family-faq/individual-and-family-covid-faqs
- https://www.medica.com/-/media/Documents/Pharmacy/Shared/Prescription-Reimbursement-Claim-Form-Express-Scripts.pdf
- https://www.preferredone.com/health-and-wellness/COVID/Default.aspx
- https://www.covidtests.gov/
- https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/coronavirus-disease-2019-covid-19-emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/in-vitro-diagnostics-euas
- https://www.hrsa.gov/coronavirus/testing-supplies
