President Biden ramps up effort to expand school testing
Posted: January 13, 2022
Beginning Jan. 15, group health plans (self-insured plans) and health insurance issuers (such as insurance companies) must cover the cost of at-home, over-the-counter COVID-19 tests approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, regardless of whether tests are ordered by a health care provider. Coverage must be provided without cost-sharing, prior authorization, or other medical-management requirements.
Previously, no-cost coverage of COVID-19 tests required that the individual had an order or clinical assessment from a healthcare provider. The National Education Association compiled more detailed information, including frequently asked questions, here.
The change comes during a time of record COVID-19 infections because of the omicron variant, limiting the availability of testing sites and contributing to long turnaround times for results.
On Wednesday, the White House announced a massive expansion of resources for testing in schools, including 10 million more tests per month and the deployment of federal surge testing units for students, educators, and families. President Joe Biden’s administration hopes tests will help fill shortfalls felt by schools having difficulty securing tests during the current surge.
At a news conference Tuesday, interim Superintendent Keith Hayashi maintained that the Hawaii State Department of Education (HIDOE) is committed to maintaining and expanding school-based testing efforts in partnership with the Department of Health via federally funded programs.
The HSTA has called for rapid testing available at every school, especially in light of record absences due in part to the spread of the omicron variant. The high transmissibility of the virus paired with a lack of direction from the HIDOE has put a strain on schools to keep up with dealing with staffing shortages and reporting case counts.
New requirements are applicable to EUTF plans
Due to the new federal requirement, at-home COVID-19 tests are covered under the Hawaii Employer-Union Health Benefits Trust Fund (EUTF) plans. HMSA, Kaiser and CVS are working on a system to cover the tests. Until the health care providers release more detailed guidance, if you purchase tests on or after Jan. 15, save your receipts, the box and its contents for manual reimbursement.