Trending
As anyone who has taken the at-home COVID-19 tests knows, they are not inexpensive -- if they can be found at all.
That's why it is encouraging to know the Biden Administration plans to require health insurers to pay for these tests.
In a report by The Ohio Capital Journal, the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials noted making these tests more accessible will allow more people to get results quicker and may encourage people to take the tests when they exhibit any potential symptoms.
It does, however, bring up the question of how accurate data on the number of positive cases in a county or state will be, if a person who gets a positive result from an at-home test does not then properly report the results.
While the Capital Journal noted challenges with sufficient supplies and uncertainty around the reimbursement process, it's good to know there is some progress on the matter. The president announced the Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury departments will issue guidance by Jan. 15 about how and what insurers must cover.
While it won't retroactively help anyone who has already spent the money, it will make a difference going forward.
If we are going to try to slow this virus before it gets even worse, at-home tests should be accessible to everyone.
That could mean one fewer stumbling block to fighting this ongoing virus in 2022.