On January 10th, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that health insurers will be required to cover over-the-counter (OTC), at-home COVID tests at no cost to members.
This requirement was effective on January 15th and will cover up to eight tests per covered person per month. While the industry is working very hard to accommodate this announcement, we have been told that not all retail pharmacies will be able to process in real-time by January 15th. Our Pharmacy Benefit Mangers (PBM’s) will continue to work with retail pharmacies to obtain updates on the process and can let you know in real-time which local pharmacies can process kits through your prescription plan. Your PBM can also tell you how to submit a claim to them for reimbursement if there is no provider in your area able to process the kits at the local level. The most efficient way to find out what providers in your area can process kits at the pharmacy is to call the number on the back of your IPMG card listed in the box that says, “Pharmacy Plan.”
The IPMG Customer Service team is here to answer any of your Covid testing questions. We can be reached Monday Through Friday from 8:00 am-5:00 pm CST at 800-423-1841. You can also email us at: ebscustomerservice@ipmg.com.
