CMS Announces No-Cost Second COVID-19 Booster, Free Tests Under Medicare Part B
- April 08, 2022
Individuals with Medicare or Medicaid who are eligible for a second COVID-19 booster shot can receive one at no cost, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said April 6.
Under recently updated Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, certain immunocompromised individuals and people ages 50 years and older who received an initial booster dose at least four months ago are eligible for another booster. CDC also recommends that adults who received a primary vaccine and booster dose of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine at least four months ago can receive a second booster dose of a Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.
CMS also announced that starting April 4 individuals with Medicare Part B can receive up to eight free over-the-counter COVID-19 tests a month through the end of the public health emergency.
Under the new initiative, Medicare pays participating pharmacies and other health care providers directly for the tests, which beneficiaries receive at no cost. National pharmacy chains participating in the initiative include Albertsons Companies, Inc., Costco Pharmacy, CVS, Food Lion, Giant Food, The Giant Company, Hannaford Pharmacies, H-E-B Pharmacy, Hy-Vee Pharmacy, Kroger Family of Pharmacies, Rite Aid Corp., Shop & Stop, Walgreens, and Walmart.
“For the first time in its history, Medicare is paying for an over-the-counter test,” said Deputy Administrator Dr. Meena Seshamani, Director of the Center for Medicare at CMS. “This is because COVID-19 testing is a critical part of our pandemic response. Combined with the free over-the-counter tests available through covidtests.gov, this initiative will significantly increase testing access for Americans most vulnerable to COVID-19 and will provide valuable information for future payment policy supporting accessible, comprehensive, person-centered health care.”