GREENSBORO, N.C. — Finding an at-home COVID test could be as easy as going to one website. That’s right, just one. You see, a 14-year-old named Eli created the website FindACovidTest.org. His website allows anyone across the country to find available tests...
“It checks for example if there is an "add to cart" button on the page and if there is an add to cart button, it'll send that to the server so the server can then tell the user if it's in stock and that's the key value add to this because there's a bunch of lists of at-home COVID tests you can buy. What FindACovidTest.org is a list where you can buy them in stock,” said Eli Coustan, Creator of FindACovidTest.org.
You can even sign up on the site for an email to alert you when items are back in stock.
Starting Saturday, January 15, 2022 at-home COVID tests bought online, at a store, or pharmacy will be covered by your insurance.
It is a new federal requirement for insurance companies and health plans to cover the costs of the FDA-approved tests.
Each person covered under an insurance plan is allowed eight free over-the-counter at-home tests per person, per month. That means a family of four, all on the same plan, would be able to get up to 32 at-home tests covered by their insurance each month.
How does this work? Best case scenario: you buy a test wherever you want, online or at a store, and it's paid by your health plan upfront.
Worst case scenario, you buy a test wherever you want and you have to submit the receipt to be reimbursed by your health plan. Each insurer will have its own way to work it.
The Biden Administration is incentivizing insurers and group health plans to set up programs and partner with preferred pharmacies or retailers, in an effort to streamline the process for customers. Even if the insurer partners with a retailer, if a customer wanted to buy a test somewhere else, the insurer or health plan would then reimburse the customer $12 per test.