HOUSTON – Eleven months into the pandemic, a lot of people have been tested for COVID-19, and some have been tested more than once. While many sites are free, If you opted to get a rapid test for fast results, you probably paid $100 or more. Don’t just eat that cost. If you have any health insurance coverage at all, you can probably get reimbursed for the full price you paid.
How to get reimbursed for rapid COVID test
- If you haven’t been tested yet, but need a rapid COVID test, call your insurance company at the number on your insurance card. Ask if they will reimburse the cost of a rapid covid test. They may direct you to a facility where you won’t have to pay out of pocket in the first place.
- If they will reimburse your cost, ask what you need to send in to request reimbursement.
Chief Medical Officer Vernicka Porter-Sales of Community Health Choice that insures some 400,000 people in the greater Houston area, says her company tells customers to get an itemized receipt from the provider that shows the patient’s name, date of birth, and the code that was administered that tells the insurance company what type of test you received. Some clinics are tacking on other tests that are not covered when you go in for a covid test. It’s important where ever you go that you make sure you tell them you only want a covid test and nothing else.
Community Health Choice is not limiting the number of rapid covid tests that it will reimburse for.
“Since it’s a commitment to public safety, we would allow our members to get what is needed for them to keep them safe,” explained Porter-Sales.
While no single authority would confirm that every insurance company will reimburse 100% for rapid COVID tests, we confirmed large healthcare insurers Aetna, Cigna and Blue Cross Blue Shield will.
The Texas Association of Health Plans sent us this statement:
“Texans who paid for a rapid COVID test may be eligible for reimbursement from their insurance company. They will likely need to provide a receipt for the test with the provider name, address and phone number plus the description of the service and amount charged. Individuals should contact their insurance plan for additional details.”
