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Trump Administration Announces Expanded
Coverage for Essential Diagnostic Services Amid COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency
Agencies
Implement Legislation Guaranteeing Coverage of COVID-19 Diagnostic Testing,
Including Antibody Testing, and Certain Related Services without Cost Sharing
for Enrollees in Private Health Coverage
The Centers for Medicare
& Medicaid Services (CMS), together with the Departments of Labor and the
Treasury, issued guidance today to ensure Americans with private health
insurance have coverage of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) diagnostic
testing and certain other related services, including antibody testing, at no
cost. As part of the effort to slow the spread of the virus, this
guidance is another action the Trump Administration is taking to remove
financial barriers for Americans to receive necessary COVID-19 tests and
health services, as well as encourage the use of antibody testing that may
help to enable health care workers and other Americans to get back to work
more quickly.
“It is critical that
Americans have peace of mind knowing that cost won’t be a barrier to testing
during this national public health emergency,” said Administrator Seema
Verma. “Today’s action under the leadership of President Trump allows
millions of Americans to access the vital health services they need to fight
COVID-19, including antibody testing once it becomes widely available.”
In March, representatives
of major health insurance companies met with President Trump, where they
voluntarily committed to covering COVID-19 testing without cost sharing such
as copays and coinsurance. Building on this commitment, today’s
guidance implements the recently enacted Families First Coronavirus Response
Act (FFCRA) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act,
which require that private health issuers and employer group health plans
cover COVID-19 testing and certain related items and services furnished
during the COVID-19 pandemic, with no out-of-pocket expenses.
Specifically, today’s
announcement implements the requirement for group health plans and group and
individual health insurance to cover both diagnostic testing and certain
related items and services provided during a medical visit with no cost
sharing. This includes urgent care visits, emergency room visits, and
in-person or telehealth visits to the doctor’s office that result in an order
for or administration of a COVID-19 test. Covered COVID-19 tests include all
FDA-authorized COVID-19 diagnostic tests, COVID-19 diagnostic tests that developers
request authorization for on an emergency basis, and COVID-19 diagnostic
tests developed in and authorized by states. It also ensures that COVID-19
antibody testing will also be covered. Once broadly available, a COVID-19
antibody test could become a key element in fighting the pandemic by
providing a more accurate measure of how many people have been infected and
potentially enabling Americans to get back to work more quickly.
To see the guidance,
visit: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/FFCRA-Part-42-FAQs.pdf
This action, and earlier
CMS actions in response to COVID-19, are part of the ongoing White House
Coronavirus Task Force efforts. To keep up with the important work the Task
Force is doing in response to COVID-19, visit www.coronavirus.gov. For a complete and
updated list of CMS actions, and other information specific to CMS, please
visit the Current Emergencies Website.
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Monday, April 13, 2020
Trump Administration Announces Expanded Coverage for Essential Diagnostic Services Amid COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
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