Original Medicare does not cover at-home COVID-19 test kits. Since May 11, 2023, when the federal Public Health Emergency ended, there is no Part B benefit, no reimbursement path, and no partial credit for over-the-counter kits you buy at a pharmacy.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. COVID-19 Over-the-Counter Tests Lab tests ordered by a doctor are a different story, and some Medicare Advantage plans, Medicaid, and a federal mail program can still get you kits at no cost. So the practical answer to whether Medicare covers COVID test kits depends on which kind of test you mean and which coverage you have.
At-Home Kits Under Original Medicare
If you have Original Medicare alone and you walk into a pharmacy to buy a rapid antigen test off the shelf, you pay full retail. Between April 4, 2022, and May 11, 2023, CMS ran a demonstration that let Part B beneficiaries pick up as many as eight free over-the-counter tests per calendar month, billed directly by the pharmacy. That program ended with the Public Health Emergency and has not been replaced.2Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Medicare Coverage of Over-the-Counter COVID-19 Tests: Frequently Asked Questions
There is no reimbursement form to file, so keeping receipts will not help. If an at-home kit is what you need and Original Medicare is your only coverage, treat it as an out-of-pocket purchase.
Lab Tests Ordered by a Provider Are Still Free
Medicare Part B still covers FDA-authorized PCR and antigen COVID-19 tests when a doctor or other qualified provider orders the test and a laboratory processes it. You pay nothing when the provider accepts Medicare assignment.3Medicare.gov. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Diagnostic Laboratory Tests That covers testing at a doctor’s office, clinic, hospital outpatient department, drive-through site, or pharmacy lab.
This coverage was never tied to the Public Health Emergency, and CMS has confirmed it continues without cost-sharing.4Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Coverage for COVID-19 Tests If you have symptoms or a known exposure, calling your doctor and getting a lab-processed test is the most direct path to a no-cost result under Medicare.
Medicare Advantage Plans May Cover At-Home Kits
Medicare Advantage plans must cover everything Original Medicare covers, so provider-ordered lab tests are free through Advantage plans too.5Medicare.gov. Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans Many Advantage plans also add supplemental benefits that Original Medicare does not offer, and that is where at-home kits sometimes come back into the picture.
A common supplemental benefit is a quarterly or monthly over-the-counter health allowance, often loaded onto a plan debit card that works at participating retailers. COVID-19 test kits may be among the approved products. Some plans go further and cover over-the-counter COVID tests as a separate supplemental benefit.1Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. COVID-19 Over-the-Counter Tests Dollar amounts, eligible products, and participating stores vary by plan, so check your benefits summary or call the number on your member card before assuming a kit is covered.
Free Kits Through the Federal Mail Program
Whatever your insurance situation, check COVIDTests.gov before paying at a pharmacy. The federal government has periodically offered free at-home COVID-19 test kits shipped directly to households through the USPS ordering portal, and as of early 2026 the program remains active.6Federal Trade Commission. Free COVID Test Kits Are Back: Heres How to Get Yours Each round typically allows four tests per household.
The program has paused and relaunched several times since 2022, so availability depends on federal funding and public health conditions at the moment. When ordering is open, every U.S. household is eligible, including those in U.S. territories.7USPS About. U.S. Postal Service to Continue Delivery of Millions of at Home COVID-19 Test Kits Nationwide
If You Have Both Medicare and Medicaid
Dual-eligible beneficiaries have another option. Under the American Rescue Plan Act, state Medicaid programs are required to cover FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests without cost-sharing, and that obligation continued after the Public Health Emergency ended. Some states require a prescription or apply quantity limits.
The mechanics vary by state. Some let pharmacies bill Medicaid directly for over-the-counter kits, while others want a provider’s order. Ask your pharmacist whether your Medicaid card can cover the purchase, or contact your state Medicaid office to confirm the process.
Paying Out of Pocket
A standard two-pack of at-home antigen tests typically runs $10 to $17 at most pharmacies, with sale prices and budget brands sometimes as low as $6 to $8. Two things can soften that cost. If you have a Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account through other coverage, at-home COVID-19 tests are eligible expenses, so you can pay with pre-tax dollars. If you itemize deductions on your federal return and your total medical expenses exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income, the cost of at-home COVID tests counts, because the IRS treats diagnostic devices and home test kits as qualified medical expenses.8Internal Revenue Service. Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses
One detail worth checking before you buy or use a kit: the expiration date. The FDA has extended the shelf life of many authorized at-home tests beyond the date printed on the box. Look up your brand on the FDA’s at-home OTC COVID-19 diagnostic tests page to see whether a later expiration applies.9U.S. Food and Drug Administration. At-Home OTC COVID-19 Diagnostic Tests An expired test can give unreliable results.
Watch Out for Test Kit Scams
Fraud tied to COVID-19 tests has been a persistent problem. Common schemes involve unsolicited calls, texts, or emails asking you to “confirm” your Medicare number in exchange for free supplies, or strangers appearing at your door offering free tests. Unrequested kits sometimes arrive followed by fraudulent charges billed to Medicare.
Never share your Medicare number with anyone who contacts you out of the blue. If unfamiliar charges appear on your Medicare Summary Notice, or kits you didn’t order show up, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Medicare Advantage or Part D enrollees can also call the Investigations Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor at 1-877-7SAFERX (1-877-772-3379).10Medicare. Reporting Medicare Fraud and Abuse