A retro feel to Biden's plan for covering OTC virus testing

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration’s plan for health insurers to reimburse consumers for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests echoes a bygone era when the companies processed large volumes of claims from individuals — with paper receipts.

It’s unclear if the buy-first, get-paid-later approach will spur people to go out and get the tests, even with new urgency around the highly transmissible omicron variant.

“It's not likely to yield the same level of accessibility that people in other countries have,” said Cynthia Cox of the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. Cox, who tracks the U.S. health system in comparison to other advanced countries, points out that consumers in the United Kingdom can pick up free rapid tests at the pharmacy or have them delivered to their homes.

“I think we are still going to have testing problems next year,” added Cox. “People will still have problems accessing affordable tests in a timely manner.”

Omicron is not the only reason testing is taking on renewed importance. Anticipated approval of antiviral pills that COVID patients can take at home is also expected to increase demand for fast tests that can provide reliable results.

Officials have yet to provide operational details of the Biden plan, with formal guidance due Jan. 15. But the administration is confident it can overcome problems that have bedeviled U.S. testing from the start of the pandemic.

According to a White House fact sheet, health insurance companies will become the cornerstone of testing for more than 150 million people with private coverage. Insurers would reimburse for rapid tests that deliver results in as little as 15 minutes. Although available over the counter, they can be hard to find.

Coronavirus response coordinator Jeff Zients says the administration has...