At-home Covid tests are now being covered by Medicare for its beneficiaries.

• Medicare has for the first time covered an over-the-counter, self-administered test without any cost.
• The initiative aligns with a previous Biden administration mandate that private insurers cover the expense of at-home tests for their policyholders.

The government announced on Monday that Medicare beneficiaries can obtain at-home Covid tests without any cost.

Medicare Part B enrollees, including Advantage Plan members, can obtain up to eight over-the-counter tests per month for free from participating pharmacies and health-care providers, as announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Medicare has started covering over-the-counter, self-administered at-home tests at no cost to beneficiaries, following the exclusion of Medicare from a January mandate from the Biden administration that private insurers must cover the cost of such tests.

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Medicare has approximately 63.3 million enrolled individuals, with the majority, 55.1 million, being aged 65 or older, and the remaining population having permanent disabilities. These groups are at a higher risk for severe illness from Covid-19.

You can check the CMS website for a list of eligible pharmacies and health-care providers participating in the initiative. However, if you don't see your pharmacy or doctor on the list, it's best to verify their participation directly with them.

Medicare beneficiaries can still access free testing outside their home at one of more than 20,000 testing sites where various types of tests, including lab-based PCR tests, rapid PCR tests, and rapid antigen tests, are available.

You can order two sets of four tests for free through Covid.gov without providing any insurance information. The government website, accessible to all households, only requires your name and address.