Blumenthal Applauds CMS Announcement That Medicare Will Now Fully Cover At-Home COVID-19 Tests

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) issued the following statement after the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare would begin fully covering at-home rapid tests for its beneficiaries:

“I’m relieved that Medicare patients will be able to have their at-home COVID-19 tests covered, as I’ve strongly urged. Medicare covers millions of Americans, including seniors and people with disabilities especially vulnerable to developing severe COVID-19 infection, and it is unacceptable that their at-home tests were not covered right from the start. I urge CMS to immediately implement this coverage and ensure all Medicare recipients have ample, free access to this critical tool in curbing the pandemic.”

Medicare provides health insurance coverage to more than 61 million people in the United States, including seniors and people with disabilities. Blumenthal has voiced strong support for full Medicare coverage of at-home COVID-19 tests. In January, Blumenthal sent a letter to CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, urging CMS to immediately issue regulation or guidance providing full Medicare coverage of at-home rapid tests. The text of that letter can be found here. Blumenthal also joined a similar letter sent to the Biden Administration later that month led by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The text of that letter can be found here.

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