On March 18, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which among other things, mandates that Medicare, Medicaid, other government plans, and most private plans cover COVID-19 testing — and all testing-related services — entirely. That means no co-pays, no deductibles, no co-insurance charges. Free. The law also applies to uninsured people who seek to get tested for concern of COVID-19. However, there are still instances in which you could end up with a bill if you fall in the following categories: if you have health insurance and use an out of network provider, if your visit does not result in a COVID-19 test, or if you receive any type of treatment in addition to getting the test.
If you are experiencing symptoms but you are worried about medical costs, please have a conversation with your provider over the phone and discuss whether you need to get tested for COVID-19 or not, and make sure to raise concerns about payment during the phone call and subsequent visits.
Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash