Every household in the U.S. is eligible to order free at-home COVID-19 tests from the federal government. For more information and to submit your order, visit covidtests.gov.
In addition, new guidance from the departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and the Treasury requires group health plans, including Syracuse University’s employee health plan to cover the cost of FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests during this public health emergency as of Jan. 15, 2022.
Through Optum Rx, employees and their dependents who are enrolled in our health plan are eligible to be reimbursed for up to $12 toward the cost of a qualifying test purchased by submitting a manual claim request. Additionally, qualifying tests can be acquired at no cost from Optum Rx’s initial retail preferred partners, Walmart, Kinney Drugs, Rite Aid and Walgreens, with additional retail options expected to be added in the future. Each covered member can be reimbursed for up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests per month (without a prescription). For more information and to request a claim reimbursement visit optumrx.com/testinfo or contact Optum Rx at 866.854.2945 (TTY:711).
With this new guidance having just been released, processes and coverage rules may continue to evolve. Please visit the HR website for more information as it becomes available. For any questions, contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.