President Joe Biden’s administration is providing families free at-home COVID-19 tests and will be mailing them directly to their homes, according to Complex.
“The program is intended to really ensure that people have at-home rapid tests available in the weeks ahead,” a senior administration official said, according to Complex. “And as we have said, this is just one more program on top of a number of programs that we have been putting in place.”
Americans who have private insurance will have to cover their own costs for the tests with an option to be reimbursed. Private holders can be compensated up to $12 per test after making a claim with their carrier and showing proof of purchase, CNBC reports. However, the tests won’t qualify as a deductible and reimbursement claims are only for tests acquired after Jan. 15.
A preferred list of pharmacies and retail stores have been specifically designed for private holders to get the tests.
The White House announced that people can start ordering the tests on Jan. 19 at COVIDTests.gov. The at-home tests will be limited to four per household.
Amid the criticism he received for his COVID-19 relief efforts, President Biden said he would purchase 500 million at-home tests. On Thursday, his administration hiked up the order to one billion.
“If you’re going to a gathering where people are immunocompromised or where they’re elderly or where you have people who might be unvaccinated or poorly protected from a vaccine that might be an opportunity you want to test,” Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the CDC director, said, according to CNBC.
According to the website, the tests will ship within seven to 12 days and will be mailed through the U.S. Postal Service. “
