Insurance To Cover At-Home COVID Tests: How To Get Them In PA

PENNSYLVANIA — Millions of people in Pennsylvania will soon have access to free at-home COVID-19 testing under a new Biden administration rule that will require insurance companies to cover the cost of tests.

Those in Pennsylvania covered by private insurance will have free access to over-the-counter, at-home COVID-19 tests starting Jan. 15. Tests can be purchased online or at a pharmacy or store, and they will be covered upfront by a health plan or through reimbursement.

"We are requiring insurers and group health plans to make tests free for millions of Americans. This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp-up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost," Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a news release Monday.

Under the rule, insurance companies and health plans will be required to cover eight free at-home tests per covered individual per month. A doctor’s note isn’t required to obtain the tests, which must be authorized, cleared or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This means a family of four on the same insurance plan would be eligible for up to 32 free tests per month; however, there is no limit on the number of tests covered if ordered or administered by a health care provider.

The Biden Administration also said it’s "incentivizing" insurers and group health plans to set up programs allowing people in Pennsylvania to get over-the-counter tests directly through preferred pharmacies, retailers or other entities with no out-of-pocket costs.

Looking for an at-home test around the Keystone State? Walgreens, CVS, and other pharmacies offer them.

If you don’t have private insurance or coverage through a group plan, you still have access to free tests in several places around the state, including Philadelphia. Head to any of the following testing sites or locations offering free at-home tests:

• Simpson Recreation Center, 1010 Arrott Street, Philadelphia
• Haverford Library, 5543 Haverford Avenue, Philadelphia
• Widener Library, 2808 West Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia
• Tacony Library, 6742 Torresdale Avenue, Philadelphia
• Lillian Marrero Library, 601 West Lehigh Avenue, Philadelphia
• Lawncrest Library, 6098 Rising Sun Avenue, Philadelphia
• Lonnie Young Recreation Center, 1100 East Chelten Avenue, Philadelphia
• MLK Older Adult Center, 2101 Cecil B. Moore Avenue, Philadelphia