Maryland began distributing home test kits. The picture shows Montgomery County Library staff and volunteers preparing to distribute the kits. (European News Agency)

We Chinese in America Media Editor Tang Zhao, January 10, 2022) The Biden administration announced on the 10th that starting the 15th, private health insurance companies must provide each insured consumer with up to eight sets of new coronavirus home testing kits per month. The Associated Press reported and analyzed that the epidemic has heated up and frustrated the public, and the Biden administration's strategy aims to reduce costs and make virus testing easier.

"This is part of our overall strategy to provide free and easy-to-use home testing kits as soon as possible," Health Minister Xavier Becerra said in a statement. The goal is to expand people's ability to get free testing when they need it."

According to the new regulations of the Biden administration, the public can purchase a home virus testing kit free through private insurance or provide a receipt for purchasing a virus testing kit to apply for reimbursement from the insurance company, as long as the number does not exceed the monthly limit. Taking a family of four as an example, a maximum of 32 virus testing kits can be applied for reimbursement each month.

Nucleic acid testing (PCR) and rapid screening prescribed and conducted by medical institutions will be borne by insurance companies with no upper limit.

During the holidays, many people went out to reunite with their relatives. As the Omicron variant virus spreads rapidly, there was a serious shortage of available home virus rapid screening test kits, and President Biden was criticized by public opinion. The Associated Press reported that the Biden administration is now trying to make it easier for home testing teams to get the virus by increasing supply and lowering prices.

The report pointed out that by the end of this month, the federal government will also launch a new website and start sending 500 million home virus test kits by email; in the areas where the number of confirmed cases is currently increasing the fastest, the federal government will also accelerate the pace of establishing a COVID 19 quick screening emergency testing station.

The Associated Press analyzed that virus testing kits, which are borne by insurance companies, will save people a considerable amount of money. The federal government hopes that when home virus testing kits become more common, the speed of virus transmission will be slowed down. The goal is to have children return to school as soon as possible, and to allow the public to gather safely.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said at a press briefing on the 10th that the free virus testing kits provided by the federal government to the public will be sent to people’s homes in the next few weeks.

She said that according to the contract between the federal government and the contractor, the delivery time of the virus testing team must be fast and accurate. "The first batch can be sent as soon as next week."

Psaki said the contractors will be sending out all the virus test kits in the next two weeks, and people will be able to book follow-up kits online by the end of the month; A telephone service line will be established.”

(Source: World Journal)