Bill Makes In-Home COVID-19 Tests Cheaper In PA

HARRISBURG — Two state lawmakers from suburban Philadelphia are seeking to make at-home COVID-19 tests exempt from the Pennsylvania sales tax.

State Reps. Joe Ciresi and Melissa Shusterman, two Democrats representing parts of Montgomery and Chester Counties, have introduced House Bill 2327, which would exempt the in-home COVID-19 tests from the state sales levy.

"As the pandemic rages on, we need all the tools in our arsenal to fight the virus," Ciresi said in a statement. "By exempting at-home COVID-19 tests from the sales tax, we can help our residents and improve access to convenient diagnostic testing by removing this financial barrier."

Ciresi called take-home COVID-19 tests "vital to public health," and said individuals who are responsible enough to take the tests should not be penalized by having to pay tax on the product.

Shusterman agreed.

"Accessing at-home COVID-19 tests allows people to quickly get results so they do not put others at risk," Shusterman said in a statement. "These important medical devices should be exempt from sales tax because they serve the greater good of the community."

The bill is not the first of its kind. Last month, a state lawmaker in Massachusetts introduced similar legislation.

There are currently a variety of at-home COVID-19 tests to choose from. Most of the self-tests available are what are known as 'rapid antigen tests,' which provide faster results than the PCR tests available at many doctors' offices and pharmacies.

The difference is that while rapid antigen tests offer faster results than PCR tests, the PCR tests are typically more accurate than the antigen tests, and they require a lab technician to determine the results.

In January, the group ECRI, which bills itself as the nation's largest patient safety organization, and is based in Plymouth Meeting, Montgomery County, released its findings with regard to the at-home COVID-19 tests.

The organization ranked the various at-home tests available from an ease-of-use standpoint. Patch covered ECRI's ranking and that article can be found here.