QDEL - Program for free COVID tests is ending as U.S. pandemic emergency winds down

2023-05-11 07:20:32 ET

Free at-home COVID-19 tests will still be accessible via mail for Americans until the end of May even as the Public Health Emergency (PHE) is set to conclude on Thursday officially, the Biden administration announced this week.

Since the government launched the program in January 2022, more than two-thirds of American households have received over 750M rapid antigen test kits through COVIDtests.gov online portal.

Despite the end of the COVID emergency on May 11, more than 600M at-home COVID tests are available to meet future flare-ups of cases, the White House said, citing its efforts continuously procure and stockpile tests.

However, with the end of the public health emergency, free COVID tests will not be available for Medicare members unless a healthcare provider places orders.

Medicaid coverage for at-home and PCR tests will continue until September 2024, while the coverage policies of private insurers will vary. However, the government has urged private insurers and sponsors of employee health plans to offer coverage without requiring beneficiaries to pay out-of-pocket costs.

Largest manufacturers of rapid COVID-19 antigen tests: Becton, Dickinson ( BDX ), Quidel ( QDEL ), Abbott Laboratories ( NYSE: ABT ), Roche ( OTCQX:RHHBY )

More on end to COVID emergency

• COVID-19 emergency is ending; What it means for free vaccines and drugs
• CDC COVID data collection to decline once public health emergency ends

For further details see: