The White House announced April 4 that more than 59 million Americans with Medicare Part B, including those enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, can now receive free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests.
Four things to know:
1. People with Medicare can get up to eight tests per calendar month from participating pharmacies and healthcare providers during the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency, according to a CMS news release emailed to Becker's.
2. HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said the initiative is part of an overall strategy to increase access to free at-home COVID-19 tests.
3. Medicare is not requiring participating eligible pharmacies and healthcare providers to go through any new Medicare enrollment processes. If a provider currently offers ambulatory healthcare services to people with Medicare, they are eligible to participate in this initiative.
4. Participating national pharmacies include CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco and Rite-Aid.
More information about the initiative can be found here.