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Biden: Insurance companies will be required to reimburse people for at-home COVID-19 tests starting next week

Virus Outbreak Ohio
Posted at 4:41 PM, Jan 04, 2022
and last updated 2022-01-04 18:49:46-05

President Joe Biden will require insurance companies to reimburse policyholders for at-home COVID-19 tests.

The president said his requirement will go into effect next week.

"So, if you’re insured, you can buy the test and get paid for it," Biden said Tuesday.

The Biden administration is also purchasing 500 million tests that people will be able to request online.

"The federal government is launching a website this month where you can get tests shipped to your home for free, upon your request," Biden said.

The administration has faced criticism for a shortage in testing as the omicron variant surges across the country.

Johns Hopkins says the U.S. recorded 1 million new COVID-19 cases on Monday. That shattered the previous daily case record of 590,000, which Johns Hopkins says was set last week.

While the omicron variant has shown to be more able to evade vaccines, the shots still provide significant protection against severe infection and death, health experts say.