COVID-19 Over-the-Counter Tests

Starting April 4, 2022, and through the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), Medicare covers and pays for over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests at no cost to people with Medicare Part B, including those with Medicare Advantage (MA) plans (referred to throughout this webpage as “patients”).

Each eligible Medicare patient can get up to 8 tests per calendar month until the PHE ends. Medicare won’t pay for more than 8 OTC tests in a month. If a patient gets more than 8 tests in a calendar month, they may pay out-of-pocket for the extra tests unless they have additional health coverage.

Use HCPCS code K1034 to bill for a single test. This code applies to all OTC, FDA-approved, authorized, or cleared COVID-19 tests (that are self-administered with a specimen that’s self-collected):

• K1034 Short Descriptor: Covid test self-admn/collect

Source: https://www.cms.gov/COVIDOTCtestsProvider