- Home»
- Resources»
- Blog Posts»
- Insurers Not Required to Reimburse COVID-19 Tests for Returning Workers
Insurers Not Required to Reimburse COVID-19 Tests for Returning Workers
July 14, 2020According to newly released guidelines from the Trump Administration, insurers will not have to cover COVID-19 screening tests mandated by employers for returning employees.
Until these new guidelines, The Families First Coronavirus Response Act required insurers to cover COVID-19 testing without patient cost-sharing. The latest announcement said the law applies only to tests considered medically appropriate by a healthcare provider. See Question 5, page 6.
Significant concerns about the possible outcomes of the new guidelines include:
- Widespread coverage gaps and an undermining of the testing coverage mandate
- Interference with businesses’ back-to-work efforts
“While there is widespread agreement that this testing is necessary, the issue of how these tests will be paid for remains unclear,” ACLA President Julie Khani said in a released statement. “Laboratories cannot – and should not be expected to – absorb the costs for return to work and surveillance testing.”
For more information about the guidelines, read the recent article in Modern Healthcare.
