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 North Carolina
Aetna
Their test kit FAQ page states that if you have individual, employer-sponsored, or student health commercial insurance, you are eligible to get reimbursed for at-home Covid-19 test kits.
Aetna will cover up to 8 test kits per member per month through reimbursement only. They do not currently have an option to get the test kits free with no upfront cost.
To submit a claim for reimbursement, you need to do the following:
- Purchase an FDA-approved test kit on or after January 15 at a pharmacy, retail store, or online.
- Keep your receipts
- Log into your Aetna member website and click, “Submit a Claim for Reimbursement”.
- Once your claim is approved, a check will be mailed to you.
If you have an Aetna Student Health Plan, log into your school account to submit a claim.
Note: This is not available for those with Medicare, Medicare Supplement, Medicaid, supplemental accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity plans.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina
All BCBS members can receive reimbursement from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina for up to eight at-home Covid-19 diagnostic tests per member 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.
Bright HealthCare
Bright Healthcare’s Covid-19 FAQ page states that they will cover at-home Covid-19 diagnostic tests for Individual, Family Plan, and Small Group members. The tests must be FDA-approved and purchased at a pharmacy or store both in-person and online.
Currently, Bright Healthcare does not have the option to get an at-home test with no upfront cost. However, you can submit a claim for reimbursement. They state that they will reimburse you for the actual cost of the test.
To submit a reimbursement claim, click here. You will need to provide proof of purchase, print out the claim document, and mail it completed to the address listed on the form.
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.
Oscar
Oscar’s at-home Covid test reimbursement FAQ does not state that you can get free at-home testing kits through their in-network pharmacies upfront. They do, however, state that “you may be able to present your member ID and ask them to bill your insurance just like you would a medication at no cost to you.” (HIOSCAR.com)
To check which pharmacies are in their network, click here.
If you have a test, you would like to get reimbursed, visit Caremark.com, sign in, select Plan & Benefits, and request reimbursement.
To be eligible for reimbursement, you must be an active member enrolled in individually purchased health care or a small group plan, bought an FDA-approved test, and have the receipt from the purchase.
United Health Care
According to United Healthcare’s resource page for over-the-counter at home Covid-19 tests, they state that members with an OptumRx logo on their ID card are now able to purchase at-home or OTC tests in two ways:
- For no upfront costs, members must visit an in-store pharmacy counter at a pharmacy that is in-network. To see a list of in-network pharmacies, click here.
- For reimbursement, you can purchase an FDA-approved test in-store or online and submit your receipt online at myuhc.com or fill out a reimbursement form and mail it in.
Covid-19 tests can be reimbursed up to $12 or $24 for kits that contain two tests in one box.
If you do not have an OptumRX logo on your member ID, you are still eligible for reimbursement at both links provided above.
Reimbursement will be provided through the method of your choosing (direct deposit or check by mail) and is typically sent within 10-20 days
Additional Important Information
North Carolina DHHS and Labcorp have teamed up to provide at-home Covid-19 testing kits for North Carolina residents while supplies last. To learn more, click here.
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
- Testing | NC COVID-19 (ncdhhs.gov)
- Find COVID-19 Tests | NC COVID-19 (ncdhhs.gov)
Hyperlinks included in the article:
- https://www.aetna.com/individuals-families/member-rights-resources/covid19/otc-in-home-test-faqs.html
- https://member.aetna.com/MbrLanding/RoutingServlet?createSession=true&custNumSel=A&serviceName=home&ae_ptparam_cmpId=int_aetnaco
- https://www.aetnastudenthealth.com/en/main/your-member-website.html/?cid=site_m_323
- 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://brighthealthcare.com/covid-19
- https://cdn1.brighthealthplan.com/docs/covid_19/covid_otc_test_reimbursement_loomis.pdf?_ga=2.85102425.1761533723.1643985431-955256121.1643985431
- https://www.cigna.com/coronavirus/
- https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/coronavirus/covid-otc-med-claim-form.pdf
- https://www.hioscar.com/blog/at-home-covid-test-reimbursement
- https://www.hioscar.com/at-home-covid-test-reimbursement
- https://www.hioscar.com/member/search/results/facilities?specialty_id=3336C0003X&search_query=Retail%20Pharmacy
- http://caremark.com/
- https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/covid-19/coverage-and-resources/covid-19-at-home-testing-coverage
- https://www.uhc.com/health-and-wellness/health-topics/covid-19/coverage-and-resources/covid-19-at-home-testing-coverage/preferred-retailers
- https://member.uhc.com/coronavirus?q=Covid+test+reimbursement&_gl=1*19owp2*_ga*MTc1NDY5OTg4Mi4xNjQzNDE2NzE1*_ga_HZQWR2GYM4*MTY0MzQxNjcxNS4xLjEuMTY0MzQxNjc1OC4w
- https://www.uhc.com/content/dam/uhcdotcom/en/memberresources/forms/PDF-UA-Over-the-Counter-OTC-At-home-COVID-19-Test-Reimbursement-Form.pdf
- https://www.ondemand.labcorp.com/nc
- 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
