Fallon Health Expands Access to At-home COVID Tests for Its Medicare Members

WORCESTER — Fallon Health announced it will begin covering over-the-counter COVID-19 tests for members in both private and government-sponsored plans with pharmacy benefit, including Medicare. The decision, which takes federal guidance one step further, ensures that older adults in the communities Fallon serves have access to easy-to-use, at-home tests without any cost or approval.

“With Fallon, every member matters, and no member is left behind,” said Richard Burke, president and CEO of Fallon Health. “Older adults have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. Arming them with tools to protect themselves and their loved ones is not only the just thing, but it advances our mission to improve the health of the communities we serve by fighting the spread of COVID.”

Dr. David Brumley, Fallon’s interim chief medical officer and vice president of Medical Affairs, added that, “while diagnostic COVID testing for our Medicare members is already covered when ordered by a healthcare professional, we recognize the many challenges and barriers facing older adults. The most important thing we can do in this public-health crisis is to ensure the broadest access to necessary services, and we believe this initiative will play an important role in that effort.”