Biden Plan Expands COVID-19 Testing Coverage, Booster Outreach

As the weather gets colder and the Omicron variant of the coronavirus emerges in the United States, the Biden administration has released an action plan that included steps to expand COVID-19 testing coverage, required targeted outreach from Medicare and Medicaid, and made recommendations for employers to implement and follow COVID-19 protocols.

President Biden announced that he will take action to expand coverage for COVID-19 tests for all Americans, whether they are privately insured, publicly insured, or uninsured.

In addition to testing coverage in physician offices, clinics, and pharmacies with no cost-sharing, individuals with private insurance will be able to receive coverage for at-home tests.

This policy will go into effect by January 15, 2022, when the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor, and the Treasury release guidance stating that individuals can seek reimbursement from their health plan after purchasing an over-the-counter rapid test.

Individuals with public insurance, who currently have access to federally supported free testing sites across the country, will be able to receive at-home tests at local health centers and rural clinics.

To assist the uninsured population and underserved communities, the administration has committed to distributing 50 million free at-home tests to community sites and rural clinics

In September, the president directed over $2 billion to the production of rapid tests and $1 billion to at-home test production, the White House press release noted.

The plan also detailed key steps that public payers will have to take.

The CDC recently stated that all adults who have completed their primary vaccination series should receive a booster shot. In an effort to increase booster awareness in older adults, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch an outreach program that targets Medicare beneficiaries.

The CMS Administrator will send a notice to all 63 million Medicare beneficiaries encouraging them to get a booster shot and offering information about how and where to receive one. The agency will also utilize emails, recorded messages to the Medicare call center, and advertising campaigns to increase awareness of booster shots.

The Biden administration also announced that state Medicaid programs will be required to cover COVID-19 vaccine counseling visits for children and youths up to age 21 during the public health emergency and the following year.

The visits can help educate parents about the importance of getting their child vaccinated and answer any questions they might have, the press release stated.

The president called on employers to take action in his announcement as well.

In order to facilitate vaccine access, the administration has asked employers across the nation to provide workers with paid time off to receive their first, second, and booster shots, and for their children’s vaccine appointments. Thirty-five percent of parents reported that they were concerned about taking time off work to bring their child to get vaccinated and to care for them following potential side effects.

About one in three workers do not receive paid time off to get vaccinated, which stands to create a vaccine barrier for many employees. Underserved communities in particular, including Hispanic, Latino, and Black individuals, have largely reported concerns about missing work in order to get vaccinated.

Federal employees currently receive paid time off to get COVID-19 vaccines and the president wants all employers to offer the same.

The administration has also asked employers to prioritize their workers’ safety and health by implementing vaccination or testing requirements. Businesses should require their employees to get vaccinated against the coronavirus or get tested every week to prevent the spread of the virus and protect other workers and customers.

The administration said it hopes these actions will help keep Americans safe and healthy and keep schools and businesses open as the Delta variant still spreads and the Omicron variant has recently emerged in the country.