Insurance To Cover At-Home COVID Tests: How To Get Them In MA

MASSACHUSETTS — Millions of people in Massachusetts will soon have access to free at-home COVID-19 testing under a new Biden administration rule that will require insurance companies to cover the cost of tests.

Those in Massachusetts covered by private insurance will have free access to over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests starting Jan. 15. Tests can be purchased online or at a pharmacy or store, and they will be covered upfront by a health plan or through reimbursement.

"We are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a news release Monday.

Under the rule, insurance companies and health plans will be required to cover eight free at-home tests per covered individual per month. A doctor’s note isn’t required to obtain the tests, which must be authorized, cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This means a family of four on the same insurance plan would be eligible for up to 32 free tests per month; however, there is no limit on the number of tests covered if ordered or administered by a health care provider.

The Biden Administration also said it's "incentivizing" insurers and group health plans to set up programs allowing people in Massachusetts to get over-the-counter tests directly through preferred pharmacies, retailers or other entities with no out-of-pocket costs.

Looking for an at-home test in Massachusetts? Here are some stores and pharmacies you can check:

• CVS: 8 Pilgrim Hill Road, Plymouth, MA
• CVS: 10 Bassett Street, Milton, MA
• CVS: 451 Main Street, Wakefield, MA

CVS's website listed as having some of the tests available but only allowed them to be sold in the stores and were out of stock when selected to have them shipped.

Be sure to call and check with pharmacies before making the trip to the store, as the tests are in such high demand, stores often sell out of whatever supply they have received quickly.

Test kits are not currently available at pickup sites in Boston, though some community partners are still distributing test kits to priority populations. Additional information will be provided here if additional tests become available.

The CDC is also warning buyers to beware of fraudulent take-home rapid tests. The CDC says you should only buy COVID-19 testing kits that have been authorized by the FDA, which will be labeled on the box.