The White House blames lawmakers for suspending the program, noting on the program’s website that “Congress has not provided additional funding to replenish the nation’s testing inventory.” If and when Congress approves additional funding, the administration will “rapidly resume” distribution of free home tests, a White House official told NBC News. Fortunately, in the meantime, most people can still get the tests they need — for free.
Find out how you can take a free home Covid test
If you have private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, your insurer is required to cover eight home exams for each person enrolled in your health plan each month. This means that a family of four can have 32 free tests every four weeks. Some insurance plans will cover testing at participating pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS. Other plans will reimburse you if you submit receipts by mail or online. Check with your insurance company to find out how it covers the tests.
When are home Covid tests useful?
Most at-home Covid tests do not detect the virus, and neither do laboratory tests such as PCR, according to the US Food and Drug Administration. However, they can still detect Covid at least 80% of the time, meaning positive test results are “usually accurate”. Check with your insurance company to find out how it covers the tests. They can be taken anywhere and are much faster than other tests, providing results within minutes. PCR tests take hours or even a few days to do the same. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends home testing:
Immediately if you have symptoms of Covid Immediately if you are going to attend a gathering or event with a lot of people At least five days after exposure if you were exposed to someone with Covid
If you are positive, home tests could later be a useful tool to determine if you have run the course of your infection. The CDC says a negative test result “does not rule out infection” and “may not be reliable,” especially if you have symptoms. Consider taking a home test again 24 to 48 hours after your first test to “increase confidence” that you’re not infected, the agency notes. Essentially, if you test negative with a home test, you’ll need to take another test a day or two later before you can consider yourself completely in the clear. Subscribe Now: Get smarter about your money and your career with our weekly newsletter Dont miss: CDC chief Dr. Walensky on new omicron-specific fast-tracking amplifiers: Consequences could be worse “if we wait” The Omicron-specific Covid booster shots are just weeks away. See who will—and who won’t—eligible
