Get Your Free COVID At-Home Test Kit Tomorrow

No one wants to spend another $20 on a rapid at-home test kit.

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By Daphne Lee, News Editor No one wants to spend another $20 on a rapid at-home test kit. Starting tomorrow, your tests will be free (with a few caveats). Today's Top Story How to Get Free COVID At-Home Tests Starting January 15, Americans with private health insurance will be able to get at-home COVID-19 tests for free or get reimbursed for the cost.   Rapid at-home tests generally cost between $10 and $30. I use Abbott's BinaxNOW test kit, which costs $19.88 for a pack of two at Walmart. But it's out of stock like most at-home tests, so you probably can't take advantage of the new policy until somebody fixes the broken supply chain.   You can still keep an eye out for a list of "preferred" pharmacies and retailers from your health plan. As long as you buy the at-home test kit at a preferred store, your insurer will take care of the cost for up to eight individual tests per month.   If you buy the test kits out-of-network, your insurer is still responsible for reimbursing the tests for up to $12 each. Know More Make sure the test kit you're purchasing is authorized by the FDA or it may not be eligible for reimbursement. Check the FDA website for a list of authorized antigen tests. Feel Better If you don't have private health insurance, fear not. The Biden administration is working on a website where you can request free test kit delivery. Several states, including New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts, have been distributing free at-home tests to residents. In some cities, like Miami and Washington D.C., you can find free tests at public libraries. Check with your local health centers or health department to see if and where you can pick up free test kits. READ MORE At-home test kit shortage is still a problem. In a search for test kits last week, they were only available 10% of the time, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Some of the popular brands like BinaxNow and QuickVue were never available during that time. Among the limited tests that were available, the prices varied and shipping dates were over a week out. These Cities Are Making Progress in Overdose Prevention New York City became the first U.S. city to open authorized overdose prevention centers two months ago. Supervised injection sites are meant to save lives; they provide clean needles, referrals to addiction treatment centers, and overdose reversal medication if necessary. Staff at the NYC sites have averted at least 59 overdoses since opening. Harm reduction advocates are hopeful that the success of the NYC sites will push forward efforts in other cities to open similar centers. READ MORE We Need Nutritional Standards for Plant-based Milk Too Beverage companies keep coming up with non-dairy milk alternatives like almond, oat, coconut, and even hemp. Plant-based milk sounds healthy, but it's often less nutritious than cow's milk. A lot of dairy-free options are low in protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and other essential dietary nutrients. Soy milk seems to come closest to being the most comparable alternative to cow's milk, but other plant-based beverages may need to adhere to a better nutritional standard. READ MORE     Louise Norris, a health insurance writer at Verywell, said that you should take advantage of a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible savings account (FSA) to cover out-of-pocket healthcare expenses with pre-tax money. You can always use HSA/FSA funds for things like co-pays, deductibles, coinsurance, or medical expenses that aren't covered by your health plan. Louise Norris HSA Specialist   In Other News   ■ Why Wordle Is the Perfect Pandemic Game. The Washington Post     ■ Making Food Allergies the Focus of Food Equity. The Counter     ■ In Spain, Your Pet Is Considered a Family Member. CNN More From Verywell 9 Best COVID At-Home Tests READ MORE How Much Milk Is Too Much? READ MORE Do At-Home COVID Tests Expire? READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.       You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy