Testing and who pays for it will soon be changing.
WASHINGTON — When the COVID-19 public health emergency ends in the U.S. next month, you’ll still have access to a multitude of tests but with one big difference: Who pays for them.
The biggest changes will be for over-the-counter tests, which account for the vast majority of screening in the U.S. today. “What we will see is a hodgepodge of approaches by different insurance companies, which is going to make it difficult for individuals to know what they’re going to be paying,” said Christina Silcox, of the Duke Margolis Center for Health Policy, which recently issued a One exception will be for those enrolled in the government Medicaid program for low-income individuals and families, who will continue to receive free tests until September 2024.
COVID-19 vaccines and drugs will remain free because they are not paid for through insurance, but by the federal government. One concern is that uncertainty around testing costs could lead to delays in treatment. Current treatments for high-risk patients, like Paxlovid, generally need to be taken within the first few days of symptoms to be effective.
“Those bulk purchases basically guaranteed the market for test manufacturers,” said Jennifer Kates, a senior vice president with the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation.
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