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'So if I'm about to see an older relative or somebody with some co-morbidities that would make it bad if they were to get COVID, I usually take test before going to see them.' 'The first is if I'm about to go see someone who might be high risk,' Kissler said. Stephen Kissler of Harvard said there are two times he finds rapid tests to be most useful. Another million tests were recently distributed through local food banks.Įven if they're more able to get rapid tests now, many people continue to be confused about when it's best to use them and what exactly the test results mean. The office of Health and Human Services said that since January, they've distributed more than 10 million at-home tests to schools, shelters, community centers and other locations.

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The state says there are options for uninsured people to get free tests, too. 'Folks should contact their insurer to confirm that you're eligible for this benefit,' Leahy said. While all health plans are federally mandated to reimburse for rapid tests, some consumers shared with GBH News that they have been rejected when trying to get tests without an initial, up-front payment. It doesn't always work at the pharmacy counter. 'They worked with their preferred pharmacy partners to develop networks where their members could go and, at the point of sale, receive up to eight at home COVID-19 tests without having to pay upfront costs at the time of purchase,' said Elizabeth Leahy of MAHP.

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The Massachusetts Association of Health plans says all of its member insurance companies allow consumers to get rapid tests for free by showing their insurance card. Massachusetts leads the nation with 97 percent of people having medical insurance, so this rule will broadly increase access across the commonwealth.Īccording to the state's office of Health and Human Resources, the tests should be available for free at pharmacies for people with coverage through MassHealth, which covers both Medicare and Medicaid recipients in the state. For Massachusetts consumers, that level of prescription coverage is required to meet federal and state minimum coverage mandates. The federal rule in January said prescription coverage in medical insurance plans should cover the cost of up to eight rapid antigen tests per person each month, although some stores are limiting customers to six tests.

Even Kissler, who studies the effectiveness of rapid antigen tests, wasn't aware they could be picked up that way until GBH News asked him about it. That free availability at pharmacies doesn't seem to be widely known. 'But if you can go to the pharmacy and pick them up using your insurance card right there on the spot, that's really helpful.' 'Gathering the receipts and sending them constitutes its own barrier,' said Stephen Kissler of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. In recent months, in a shift that's making rapid tests more broadly accessible, major pharmacies have begun offering the tests for free by processing them just like any other prescription.

Some insurance companies have been taking orders for tests on their websites and mailing them out to members. People could purchase the tests out-of-pocket, then submit receipts to get paid back by their insurer. In January, the federal government required health plans to reimburse their members for buying rapid tests.

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