Monday, January 31, 2022
PITTSBURGH (January 31, 2022) — Beginning on Jan. 15, Highmark has been complying with federal guidelines to reimburse its members for the cost of over-the-counter (OTC) COVID tests. Members can be reimbursed for up to 8 OTC tests per month. To receive reimbursement, members must submit a claim form through the mail or online.
To expand options for members to access testing, Highmark has now announced the use of its existing pharmacy networks for members to receive OTC COVID antigen tests without any up-front costs, eliminating the need for reimbursement.
The list of FDA emergency use authorized OTC COVID-19 antigen tests covered through the preferred pharmacy network includes Inteliswab COVID-19 Home Test, Binaxnow COVID-19 AG Home Test, Quickvue At-Home COVID-19 Test, Ellume COVID-19 Home Test, iHealth COVID-19 AG Home Test and Flowflex COVID-19 AG Home Test.
“We agree that testing is important for helping to slow the spread of the virus,” said Thomas Doran, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Highmark Inc. “That’s why we want to ensure that members have expanded access to home testing, without any costs at the point of sale.”
To receive an FDA emergency use authorized OTC COVID antigen test without any out-of-pocket costs, members can visit the same pharmacy where they get their prescriptions filled — or any in-network pharmacy — locate a test, take the test to the pharmacy counter and show their Highmark insurance card to have the test processed through their pharmacy benefit (members with a separate pharmacy benefit card will need to show that). If unsure which pharmacies are in-network, members can visit the Highmark member website or call the number on the back of their Highmark insurance card or pharmacy benefit card for help. Members can also continue to purchase FDA emergency-use authorized OTC COVID tests and submit a claim form for reimbursement.
Highmark members can also receive four free tests through the federal government website covidtests.gov.
Highmark members can visit its informational website highmarkanswers.com for the latest updates.
About Highmark Inc.
One of America's leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work passionately to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable, and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers. As the fourth-largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization, Highmark Inc. and its Blue-branded affiliates proudly cover the insurance needs of more than 6 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
For more information, contact
Aaron Billger
Highmark Health
412-544-7826
aaron.billger@highmarkhealth.org
