On January 15, 2022, the federal mandate requiring health plans to cover member-purchased over-the-counter (OTC) COVID-19 tests went into effect. Members may purchase up to 8 tests per covered member, per 30-day period. The tests are covered as individual
tests and not as a package (i.e., most tests come as a package of 2).
Options for COVID-19 testing
- Order a free testing kit from the federal program at covidtests.gov. Limit one order per household. This does not count against the 8 at-home tests per covered family member every 30 days.
- Go to a Premera in-network pharmacy and purchase a COVID-19 test kit at the pharmacy counter. There isn’t an out-of-pocket cost when using a participating in-network pharmacy.
- Set up at account at Express Scripts and order a kit to be shipped directly. Kits ordered through Express Scripts direct shipping are available at no cost.
- Purchase a COVID-19 at-home test kit and submit a claim through the paper-based OTC test claim form. Reimbursement is limited to $12 per test, which may include tax and shipping/delivery charges
(to a maximum of $12). If a test reader is required, reimbursement is limited to $12.
- Get an in-person test at a Washington or Alaska testing location near you. In other states, you can find a testing location at the CDC COVID-19 site.
Our COVID-19 FAQ has the latest information on dates, which tests are covered, and other updates.