Stock Up on Free COVID-19 Tests Now — Insurance Coverage Is Ending This Week
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It will soon become much harder to get at-home COVID-19 tests for free, but you still have time to snag a batch before coverage ends.
Since January 2022, the federal government has required private health insurers to cover the cost of up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month for members. Medicare began offering the same benefit later that year. But when the public health emergency — a legal declaration — officially ends on Thursday, that requirement will sunset.
At-home testing kits purchased Friday or later will no longer be free (in most cases).
Medicare won't pick up the tab for these over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. Private insurers will no longer be required to do so, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), though they can choose to keep offering the benefit if they want to.
