Fallon Health to cover at-home COVID tests for Medicare members
Photo | Grant Welker
Fallon Health's Worcester headquarters
Worcester nonprofit healthcare organization Fallon Health will cover at-home COVID-19 tests for its Medicare members, according to a Thursday announcement, even though a federal requirement for private insurers to cover such tests, which goes into effect Saturday, doesn’t include Medicare patients.
“Older adults have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic,” said Richard Burke, president and CEO of Fallon Health, in a statement. “Arming them with tools to protect themselves and their loved ones is not only the just thing, but it advances our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve by fighting the spread of COVID.”
Guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says free at-home tests have been distributed to Medicare-certified health clinics, but that Medicare cannot currently pay for other at-home tests, although Medicare Advantage plans may offer coverage. Medicare currently pays for laboratory COVID tests when ordered by authorized healthcare workers, such as physicians or pharmacists.
“The most important thing we can do in this public health crisis is to ensure the broadest access to necessary services, and we believe this initiative will play an important role in that effort,” said David Brumley, Fallon’s interim chief medical officer and vice president of medical affairs, in a statement.
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