TUESDAY, April 5, 2022 (HealthDay Information) – Medicare introduced Monday that seniors can now stroll into maximum drug retail outlets and get a loose over the counter COVID take a look at.
“For the primary time in its historical past, Medicare is paying for an over the counter take a look at,” Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, director of the Heart for Medicare, mentioned in a information liberate at the announcement. “It’s because COVID-19 checking out is a essential a part of our pandemic reaction. Blended with the loose over the counter exams to be had thru covidtests.gov, this initiative will considerably build up checking out get right of entry to for American citizens maximum at risk of COVID-19.”
Now the 59 million American citizens coated via Medicare Phase B can stand up to 8 loose, at-home exams each and every month from any supplier that gives them, the Facilities for Medicare and Medicaid Services and products mentioned within the information liberate.
“That is all a part of our general solution to ramp up get right of entry to to easy-to-use, at-home exams without cost,” Well being and Human Services and products Secretary Xavier Becerra mentioned within the CMS information liberate. “Since we took administrative center, we have now greater than tripled the choice of websites the place other folks can get COVID-19 exams free of charge, and we are additionally handing over with reference to 250 million at-home, fast exams to ship free of charge to American citizens who want them….With as of late’s step, we’re additional increasing medical insurance protection of loose over the counter exams to Medicare beneficiaries, together with our country’s aged and other folks with disabilities.”
Collaborating suppliers in this system come with Albertsons Firms Inc., Costco Pharmacy, CVS, Meals Lion, Massive Meals, The Massive Corporate, Hannaford Pharmacies, H-E-B Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Kroger Circle of relatives of Pharmacies, Ceremony Help Corp., Store & Forestall, Walgreens and Walmart, the company mentioned.
Greater than 64 million older folks and other folks with disabilities are insured via Medicare. The loose, over the counter take a look at program will proceed till all through the COVID-19 public well being emergency.
How lengthy the general public well being emergency will proceed is dependent upon what COVID variants do someday.
At this time, all eyes are at the “stealth” BA.2 Omicron subvariant, which accounts for simply over 72 % of U.S. COVID circumstances, CDC information presentations. The unique Omicron variant prompted a surge that was once the biggest spike but in virus circumstances, however the ones numbers have dropped to the bottom ranges noticed since closing summer time’s Delta variant unfold all through the rustic.
Many Medicare beneficiaries also are now additionally eligible for a 2d booster shot, which the FDA authorized closing week for other folks age 50 and older and the ones with weakened immune methods.
Additional info
The U.S. Covid site has extra on COVID-19.
SOURCE: CBS Information
By means of Cara Murez and Robin Foster HealthDay Journalists
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