Health insurance companies will not have to pay for most coronavirus testing, according to guidance released by the Trump administration Tuesday.
Testing has increased as states have reopened their economies, potentially putting insurers on the hook for significant costs. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act, passed by Congress in March, requires insurers to pay for tests without patient co-pays. But the guidance released today states that only applies if a healthcare provider deems the test “medically appropriate.”
“Section 6001 of the FFCRA requires coverage of items and services only for diagnostic purposes,” read the guidance statement. “However, testing conducted to screen for general workplace health and safety … or for any other purpose not primarily intended for individualized diagnosis or treatment of COVID-19 or another health condition is beyond the scope of section 6001 of the FFCRA.”
The United States currently conducts between 400,000 to 500,000 tests daily.
The ruling could hit nursing homes especially hard, as some states now require that staff be tested regularly. The American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living estimated that testing all nursing home employees just once would cost $672 million.
