Page 1 - aruba-today-20220112

Don and Susan Hearn:
Aruba has been a family
Wednesday tradition for almost 50 years
January 12, 2022
T: 582-7800
www.arubatoday.com
facebook.com/arubatoday
instagram.com/arubatoday
Page 8

Y
L
g
n
E
N
’
a
b
O

s
l
a
p
s
r
e
p
w
h
s
i
e
n

u
Aruba’s ONLY English newspaper
A
r
Home COVID tests to be covered by insurers starting Saturday
By ZEKE MILLER criticism over the holiday
Associated Press season for a shortage of at-
WASHINGTON (AP) — Start- home rapid tests as Ameri-
ing Saturday, private health cans traveled to see fam-
insurers will be required to ily amid the surge in cases
cover up to eight home from the more transmissible
COVID-19 tests per month omicron variant. Now the
for people on their plans. administration is working
The Biden administration to make COVID-19 home
announced the change tests more accessible, both
Monday as it looks to lower by increasing supply and
costs and make testing for bringing down costs.
the virus more convenient Later this month, the feder-
amid rising frustrations. al government will launch
Under the new policy, first a website to begin making
detailed to the AP, Ameri- 500 million at-home COV-
cans will be able to either ID-19 tests available via
purchase home testing kits mail.
for free under their insur- The administration also
ance or submit receipts for is scaling up emergency
the tests for reimbursement, rapid-testing sites in areas
up to the monthly per-per- experiencing the greatest
son limit. surges in cases.
A family of four, for instance, The insurer-covered testing Associated Press
could be reimbursed for up would dramatically reduce more quickly and help a statement. "By requiring eral requirement late last
to 32 tests per month. PCR costs for many Americans, people gather safely. private health plans to cov- year, and it kicks in on Jan.
tests and rapid tests or- and the administration "This is all part of our overall er people's at-home tests, 15, but the administration
dered or administered by hopes that by easing a strategy to ramp up access we are further expanding had been silent until now
a health provider will con- barrier to more regular at- to easy-to-use, at-home Americans' ability to get on details of the plan.
tinue to be fully covered by home testing, it can help tests at no cost," Health tests for free when they
insurance with no limit. slow the spread of the virus, and Human Services Secre- need them." Continued on Page 2
President Joe Biden faced get kids back into school tary Xavier Becerra said in Biden announced the fed-