{"id":13478,"date":"2022-02-23T01:06:35","date_gmt":"2022-02-23T01:06:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/uncategorized\/2022\/02\/23\/military-families-at-home-covid-tests-should-be-covered-too-lawmakers-say\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T05:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T05:05:13","slug":"military-families-at-home-covid-tests-should-be-covered-too-lawmakers-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/marinecorpstimes\/pay-benefits\/2022\/02\/23\/military-families-at-home-covid-tests-should-be-covered-too-lawmakers-say\/","title":{"rendered":"Military families\u2019 at-home COVID tests should be covered, too, lawmakers say"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Lawmakers are urging Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to require Tricare to cover up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a Feb. 17 letter to Austin, lawmakers<\/a> noted that \u201cmillions of Tricare beneficiaries have been left out\u201d of policies recently announced by the administration to require private insurers to cover the cost of eight over-the counter COVID-19 tests per person per month, and to allow Medicare recipients to get up to eight tests per month at no cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tricare <\/a>beneficiaries have no other option but to pay out-of-pocket for at-home tests, they said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of late Feb. 18, there hadn\u2019t been any changes to the Tricare policy, said Peter Graves, spokesman for the Defense Health Agency, but there may be an announcement soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Military families with youngsters in child care are among those being burdened by these costs, said Nicole Russell, government relations deputy director for the National Military Family Association. \u201cYou\u2019re constantly getting your child tested,\u201d she said. Tricare only covers tests that are ordered by a Tricare-authorized provider for a medically necessary purpose. But often, if a child is asymptomatic, pediatricians won\u2019t see the child to order a COVID-19 test because they are busy seeing sick patients, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The costs of these tests adds up, said one Air Force Reserve major, who spoke on condition of anonymity. She\u2019s spent about $300 on at-home COVID tests for herself, her husband and their 1-year-old daughter. Over the course of a few weeks earlier this year, they used at least 10 home tests, including some of the free tests through the government website, and they\u2019ve also kept some on hand at their home in Alexandria, Virginia. The most expensive single at-home test was about $30, she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The major and her husband, who is also an Air Force reservist, both work in civilian jobs and both have tested positive for COVID. Although their baby hasn\u2019t gotten COVID, she\u2019s been quarantined because she was exposed. There were also instances at the day care when other children may have been exposed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTesting is really the key to being able to put her back in day care,\u201d said the major, who\u2019s been vaccinated and boosted. While the day care generally requires testing from a doctor, it\u2019s been difficult to get appointments, she said, and the day care allows the at-home tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very cautious,\u201d she said, adding they test to protect themselves and others. \u201cI understand the economics of insurance and the expense. But it\u2019s in the public interest to make the tests more accessible to everyone. Luckily I had tests on hand because I care about society and my daughter. But we also have the means to buy those tests. Not everyone can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe should be doing everything we can to encourage people to take extra steps to make sure they\u2019re not infecting others and spreading this virus unknowingly. I had nearly no symptoms at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe general public good is served by ensuring that people have access to those tests. That includes financial access. Tricare is supporting military families who, in theory, should be physically ready for anything,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\t