As Christmas travel increases and the new Omicron variant spreads throughout the U.S., the Biden administration vowed to offer free COVID-19 home test kits.
COVID-19 Home Test Kits
Since COVID-19 home test kits get in demand, retailers including CVS, Walmart, Walgreens and Amazon have set limitations on how many customers may buy, per Cnet.
Chair of the department of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco Dr. Bob Wachter stated that the at-home antigen test kits still work to detect omicron.
Wachter furthered on his Twitter thread that the US should be working on giving these COVID-19 test kits for free and accessible to everyone.
… and with ready access to testing and oral antivirals to help us manage a small number of ongoing cases – leading to lower rates of transmission and fewer bad outcomes.(24/25)
— Bob Wachter (@Bob_Wachter) December 22, 2021
The good news is that beginning in early 2022, everyone will be able to get free over-the-counter rapid COVID-19 test kits. Through President Joe Biden's announcement, health insurance companies will be compelled to pay Americans for rapid COVID-19 antigen tests, which may cost more than $25 for a pack of two.
In addition, as reported in the White House press briefing, the administration has vowed to purchase 500 million at-home quick tests this winter "to be delivered for free to Americans who need them."
The said test kits are intended for those without insurance or who depend on Medicaid or Medicare.
Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits: Availability Date
The White House has stated that reimbursement rules would be released on January 15th.
Moreover, a research professor at the Center on Health Insurance Reforms Sabrina Corlette told Cnet that "Typically when an administration issues guidance like this, the requirement is in effect the same day."
According to Corlette, most insurance companies already have a system in place to accept reimbursement requests.
"The question is can they be amped up for the kind of volume we'll expect to see from drugstores," the research professor added.
Although the proposal is unlikely to be retroactive, Corlette recommended buyers keep evidence of purchase for kits purchased during the holidays.
How to Get Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits?
The free COVID-19 home test kits are available at Walgreens, CVS and Walmart pharmacies.
Interested people may also purchase them through Amazon and the websites of the retailers mentioned. However, it is unclear whether insured people could claim the kits on their insurance if they purchased them online.
Since the Omicron's arrival, many vendors, including all the ones listed, are temporarily restricting the number of kits customers may buy.
According to CNN, Amazon is restricting customers to 10 kits, while Walmart is also limiting online purchases to eight per order, although local locations will be able to set their limits for in-store transactions.
CVS has set a limit of six COVID-19 test kits per client, acknowledging that some shops may be entirely out of supply.
Both online and in-store purchases at Walgreens have been limited to four.
In response to the shortage, manufacturers have increased their production and the FDA has approved new tests at an unprecedented rate.
ACON Laboratories estimates that by the end of 2021, it will be able to generate more than 100 million Flowflex COVID-19 Home Test kits per month and more than 200 million by February.
The White House will also make hundreds of millions of free at-home test kits available through a dedicated website beginning in January 2022.
