UnitedHealthcare to Cover COVID-19 At-Home Tests, Small Business Market Segment Update
On Jannuary 10, 2022, the Departments of Labor, Treasury and Health and Human Services released guidance to support the Administration’s directive that health insurers and group health plans cover, subject to certain criteria, the cost of FDA-authorized or approved over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 at home tests beginning on January 15, 2022.
On January 15, 2022, UnitedHealthcare began covering most commercial individual and group health plan members’ FDA-authorized or approved over-the-counter COVID-19 at home tests without a doctor’s prescription or clinical assessment. This COVID-19 at home test benefit includes up to eight tests per member per 30 days.
UnitedHealthcare fully insured and level-funded individual and group health plan members will have two ways that they can receive reimbursement for these COVID-19 at home test kits.
- Preferred Retailers — UnitedHealthcare has developed and deployed a solution of Preferred Retailers for coverage of over-the-counter COVID-19 at home test kits. A Preferred Retailer is a pharmacy that UnitedHealthcare has made arrangement with to provide an OTC COVID-19 at home tests at no cost to the member at time of purchase or later. The list of Preferred Retailers and their websites may be found in the Preferred Retailer list on uhc.com. UnitedHealthcare is working to add additional Preferred Retailers.
- Other retailers or online — If the member purchases a COVID-19 at home test at any in-store or online retailer other than at the in-store pharmacy counter, they may submit purchase receipt(s) for reimbursement at the UnitedHealthcare member portal for a maximum reimbursement of $12 per test. Many COVID-19 tests are sold as a two-pack so that means the test pack would be reimbursed at $24 ($12 for each test).
A member must be a UnitedHealthcare commercial individual or group health plan member and have UnitedHealthcare’s Pharmacy benefit to purchase over-the-counter COVID-19 at home tests at the Preferred Retailer at no cost using their UnitedHealthcare member ID card. As mentioned earlier, the member may also purchase and then submit a receipt for reimbursement at the retail location of their choice.
Other self-funded customers will receive a communication shortly that will outline the program and options for their business and members.
Contact your Cornerstone representative with any questions.
